Mary Magdalene, Painting depicts the extra-biblical scene of the Pertinent Mary Magdalene. The post-canonical story tells of the fate of Mary Magdalene after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, in which she became a hermit, living in the desert, alone, abandoning all earthly possessions to live the next 30 years in prayer and penitence. The legend holds that her clothes slowly disintegrated over time, leaving only her long hair as her coverings, she was fed everyday only by the singing angels who visited her. Here, however, it appears Titian, in an effort to avoid the typical eroticism of the image chose to clothe Mary Magdalene. She sits in a cave, with only a skull (vanitas) and an open bible, she clutches her garment to her chest while casting her above as she prays.

Mary Magdalene, Painting depicts the extra-biblical scene of the Pertinent Mary Magdalene. The post-canonical story tells of the fate of Mary Magdalene after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, in which she became a hermit, living in the desert, alone, abandoning all earthly possessions to live the next 30 years in prayer and penitence. The legend holds that her clothes slowly disintegrated over time, leaving only her long hair as her coverings, she was fed everyday only by the singing angels who visited her. Here, however, it appears Titian, in an effort to avoid the typical eroticism of the image chose to clothe Mary Magdalene. She sits in a cave, with only a skull (vanitas) and an open bible, she clutches her garment to her chest while casting her above as she prays., spc-mss0088-s21-i0642. Vanderbilt University Special Collections and University Archives. https://collections.library.vanderbilt.edu//repositories/2/digital_objects/72432 Accessed August 02, 2026.