The Resurrected Christ Appearing to Mary Magdelene in the Garden

Unknown

ca. 1500–1520 · Wool warp; wool, silk, and gilt wefts · The Cloisters

In the Gospel of John (20:11–17), Mary Magdalene arrives at Jesus’s empty tomb and asks a nearby gardener where she can find Jesus’s body. Calling her by name, the gardener reveals himself as Christ and asks that she report his resurrection to the disciples. In this tapestry, Mary wears a sumptuous cloak, shimmering with gilt-metal-wrapped thread. She kneels with her hands extended, eyes fixed on Christ’s body. Christ raises his right hand, commanding Mary to keep her distance, and presents his wound. As if captured in the exact moment of his revelation, Christ holds a humble spade, though he appears here in his resurrected majesty. Gilded threads blaze forth from his head to create a cruciform halo.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 1500–1520

Medium

Wool warp; wool, silk, and gilt wefts

Culture

South Netherlandish

Department

The Cloisters

Credit line

The Cloisters Collection, 1956