Title
Chapter Three: The German Icongraphy of the Saint Magdalene altarpiece: Documenting Its Context
Document Type
Monograph
Publication Date
11-21-2012
Publication Title
Mary Magdalene: Iconographic Studies from the Middle Ages to the Baroque
Abstract
Described as “the most famous and significant Magdalene altar in Germany,”1 there have been few comprehensive iconographic studies of Lucas Moser’s Saint Magdalene altarpiece (1432), especially in recent decades (fig. 3.1a, 3.1b). previous considerations of the altarpiece’s iconography were embedded in broad examinations of the artist’s style and mainly identified the textual sources for the various scenes and established their general meaning.2 While a complete iconographic analysis, one that includes the symbolism of the myriad details of individual scenes is beyond the scope of this discussion, by clarifying misunderstandings in the early literature and calling attention to the regional and local influences present in the altarpiece, this essay is the necessary point of departure for any further consideration of the Saint Magdalene altarpiece’s iconography.
Recommended Citation
Morris, A.M. (2012). “The German Iconography of the Saint Magdalene Altarpiece: Documenting Its Context.” In Mary Magdalene: Iconographic Studies from the Middle Ages to the Baroque, ed. Michelle Erhardt and Amy Morris. Leiden: Brill, 75-104 https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004232242_005
Comments
This is the accepted manuscript of the chapter in Mary Magdalene: Iconographic Studies from the Middle Ages to the Baroque.