Noli me Tangere revisited

On Easter Sunday in 2017, I published a post about Noli me tangere - suggested to be the first words words said by Christ on meeting Mary Magdelene in the Garden of Gethsemane.

The Latin words 'Noli Me Tangere' mean 'Do not touch me', and refer to the episode of Mary Magdalene's first encounter with Christ after his Resurrection. National Gallery

There have been very many drawings, paintings, fine art prints of the biblical scene of Mary Magdelene recognising Jesus Christ after his resurrection. It's an iconic and artistic motif which has continued for centuries. 

On this Easter Morning I've reprised the post:

• Today I've found the images (mainly in Wikimedia Commons) and put them in an album on my Facebook Page - with the details of each image from the original blog post.
• plus I've found a new image - by two past masters of Netherlandish art

Artworks have been produced by very many notable artists. My blog post documented various of the artworks in chronological order. They include: Giotto, Duccio, Fra Angelico, Memling, Botticelli, Dürer, Titian, Holbein, Poussin, Lorrain

This is an additional - and unusual - image. It was painted by BOTH Jan Brueghel the Younger, Peter Paul Rubens. Rubens did the figures and Brueghel did the landscape and plants. One interesting aspect is that Christ is portrayed as a gardener and while flowers are still in bloom the vegetables are ready to be harvested— which I gather is an allusion to Paradise.

Christ Appears to Mary Magdalene on Easter Morning (Noli me tangere) c. 1626
Jan Brueghel the Younger, Peter Paul Rubens
59.0 x 100.0cm, oil on wood
Kunsthalle Bremen - Der Kunstverein in Bremen

In addition, this Wikimedia Commons Category:Paintings of Noli me tangere has the paintings ordered by century in date order.

A MUST READ for all self portrait artists

The New York Times has produced an EXCELLENT analysis of the self portrait (1500) Albrecht Durer (1471-1528).

This is coupled with the use of digital technology to permit an up close and personal view of the painting and various of its features. I've never ever seen it before in this kind of detail, which allows you to see, for example:

• that his eyes reflect the pattern of light coming from the window transom
• why other artists thought he might have a special brush to paint hair and fur.

DO READ/VIEW Seeing Our Own Reflection in the Birth of the Self-Portrait By Jason Farago Sept. 25, 2020

from the New York Times article of the same name

The portrait is of a 28 year old Durer, who was already famous and wealthy due to his very many wood engravings and associated prints which were sold far and wide.

It highlights:

• the technical proficiency of the painting
• the evocation of religious paintings
• the novelty of the self portrait - being a major break with tradition through the use of a full frontal self portrait - portraying one's self looking straight out at the viewer - previously only reserved for Christ.
• the emphasis on the direct and penetrating gaze and his creative hands - as tools of the master artist 

Technical Note:

• The portrait is listed in various places as "Self-Portrait with Fur-Trimmed Robe"
  
• It is the third of his three self portrait paintings - which were not something painters did at this time (as the article notes)

Art historians consider it the most personal, iconic and complex of his self-portraits

• The portrait is painted in oil on lime wood panel. 
• It measures 67.1 cm (26.4 in) high by 48.9 cm (19.2 in) wide. 
• The inscription on the right - in very precise gold lettering - reads 
• in (universal) Latin "Albertus Dürers Noricus / ipsum me propriis sic effin / gebam coloribus aetatis / anno XXVIII" 
• or "Thus I, Albrecht Dürer of Nuremberg, painted myself with indelible colors at the age of 28 years."
• PS. Google Translate is completely useless at translating Latin! The translation comes from the article
• He also uses his monogram - which both signifies the year it was painted (anno domini) but also the initials of his name
• The portrait is part of the collection of the Alte Pinakothek, Munich - one of the oldest art galleries in the world.

Below are his two earlier self portraits