Feminae: Medieval Women and Gender Index


  • Record Number: 3517
  • Author(s)/Creator(s): Bennett , Adelaide.
  • Contributor(s):
  • Title: Mary Magdalen's Seven Deadly Sins in a Thirteenth-Century Liège Psalter-Hours [The author explores the figure of a woman with an unguent jar who is holding seven disks spelling out "SALIGIA" (the initial letters of the seven vices) whom the author identifies as Mary Magdalene. Earlier Mary Magdalene was portrayed with seven demons fleeing from her body. In the thirteenth century this became associated with the seven deadly sins as Mary Magdalene's role as a penitent, converted sinner was emphasized. Title note supplied by Feminae.].
  • Source: Insights and Interpretations: Studies in Celebrations of the Eighty-Fifth Anniversary of the Index of Christian Art.  Edited by Colum Hourihane.  Index of Christian Art, Department of Art and Archaeology, Princeton University in association with Princeton University Press, 2002.  Pages 17 - 34.
  • Description:
  • Article Type: Essay
  • Subject (See Also): Art History- Painting Demons in Art Hagiography Iconography Illumination of Manuscripts Mary Magdalene, Saint in Art Sins in Art Women in Art
  • Award Note:
  • Geographic Area: Low Countries
  • Century: 13
  • Primary Evidence: Manuscript; New York, Pierpont Morgan Library, Ms. M. 183. It is a Mosan Gothic psalter-hours dating from the 1280s and made for the use of Liège.
  • Illustrations: Nine figures. Figure One Medallion of the "SALIGIA" figure (detail) (New York, Pierpont Morgan Library, Ms. M. 183, fol. 9v). Figure Two Full-page miniature with Mariological cycle and six female saints (New York, Pierpont Morgan Library, Ms. M. 183, fol. 9v). Figure Three Christ and Mary Magdalene in the garden (Amiens, Bibliothèque Municipale, Pamplona Bible, Ms. lat. 108, fol. 194v). Figure Four Mary Magdalene, stained-glass window, north transept (Cathedral of Freiburg in Breisgau). Figure Five Mary Magdalene wiping the feet of Christ with her hair and being freed from her evil spirits, stained-glass window, apse (Erfurt, Barfüsserkirche). Figure Six Devils expelled from Mary Magdalene, who is anointing the feet of Christ (obverse) and "Noli me tangere" (reverse), Seal of Augustinian Canons' Priory of St. Mary Magdalen (London, Public Record Office, Combwell (E25/39/1)). Figure Seven Giovanni da Milano, Christ dining at the home of Simon the Pharisee and Mary Magdalen anointing the feet of Christ (Florence, Santa Croce, Rinuccini Chapel). Figure Eight Manuscript illumination of Samson and Delilah and Christ expelling the seven devils from Mary Magdalene (Oxford, Bodleian Library, Ms. Bodley 270b, fol. 118r). Figure Nine Manuscript illumination of King David and the angel of God and Christ and Mary Magdalene (Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Ms. lat. 11560, fol. 37v.).
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  • Author's Affiliation: Index of Christian Art
  • Conference Info: - , -
  • Year of Publication: 2002.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN/ISBN: 0691099901