Mary Magdalene`s Box of Very Precious Ointment 1894

Editor: James Tissot painted "Mary Magdalene's Box of Very Precious Ointment" in 1894 using oil paints. The faces seem really intent and maybe… judgmental? What strikes you when you look at this piece? Curator: Oh, this transports me. Forget the halos; Tissot plunges us into a very human drama. Look at the composition – how he angles the table, boxing in Jesus amongst whispers and stares. You almost feel like you shouldn’t be there. Ever feel like you’ve stumbled into someone else’s intense moment? Editor: Totally. There’s a real sense of being an uninvited guest! So you’re saying it's less about the divine, and more about human reactions? Curator: Precisely! Tissot’s orientalism here is a kind of storytelling—vivid, yes, but grounded. Think about Magdalene’s gesture: lavish, vulnerable, defiant even. How does that contrast with the others? Do they question the wisdom of her extravagance or perhaps the depth of their own love and empathy? Editor: I see what you mean. It's not just a depiction of a biblical scene, but of different perspectives on it. It’s interesting how one extravagant act sparks all these complex reactions! Curator: Indeed. Art's great gift to us: to provoke these silent symphonies of feeling. Remember that next time you question your gut reaction to a piece! Editor: That’s a really helpful way to look at it. I’ll definitely be thinking about perspectives and reactions differently now. Thanks!