Noli Me Tangere 1640

Alonzo Cano’s “Noli Me Tangere” is a 17th-century oil painting that depicts the moment when Mary Magdalene recognizes the resurrected Christ. The paint, applied with a practiced hand, gives form to the artist’s vision, and the canvas provides the support for this depiction, drawing the viewer into a moment of recognition and religious significance. The layering of paint is itself a time-honored craft, built on the skilled application of pigment and binder. The canvas is an essential element, stretched and prepared to receive the artist's vision. Looking closely, you can see how Cano uses these materials to tell a story: the texture of Magdalene's robes, and the rendering of Christ's skin against the backdrop of the natural world. The skilled use of these traditional materials helps underscore the painting’s theological themes. The making of art has always been entangled with social and cultural values. By considering the labor involved in producing paintings like this, we can appreciate how “fine art” is itself a craft, interwoven with the wider world of creative practices and cultural beliefs.