Maria Magdalena 16th-17th century

Curator: This is Adriaen Collaert's "Maria Magdalena," held here at the Harvard Art Museums. It’s a scene teeming with intricate detail, almost like a stage set. What strikes you first? Editor: The solitude, paradoxically. While the landscape teems with life, Maria's isolation feels palpable. There’s this tension between the lush world and her renunciation of it. Curator: Precisely. Look at the contrast between the detailed town and the raw, natural elements. It speaks to the transformation she is undergoing. The angels in the hut suggest something otherworldly. Editor: Yes, and the city could signify societal constraints, while the wilderness represents liberation from patriarchal structures. The image uses nature as a site for female contemplation. Curator: It's a world of inner reflection, visualized. Seeing her, I'm reminded that the soul, like a garden, needs both cultivation and wild spaces. Editor: Absolutely. Collaert seems to ask: Can transformation only occur when we step outside the boundaries of the familiar?