Madonna and Child with St. John the Baptist and Mary Magdalene 1512

Cima da Conegliano painted this oil on panel, entitled *Madonna and Child with St. John the Baptist and Mary Magdalene*, during the Renaissance. Here, we see a Madonna and child surrounded by saints, a very conventional trope for the time. But let's take a moment to consider the positioning of Mary Magdalene. Traditionally depicted as a reformed prostitute, she stands here holding an ointment jar, her gaze introspective, almost melancholic. Conegliano paints her not as a figure of shame, but as a thoughtful woman, marked by her past, yet dignified. The artist invites us to consider these religious figures as individuals with complex emotions and histories. By humanizing these divine figures, Conegliano subtly challenges the rigid social and religious norms of his time, inviting viewers to find a more personal connection with faith. It is in this emotional space that the painting truly resonates, bridging the gap between the sacred and the human.