I love art history, and I love the Bible, which I why I chose this book. While I enjoyed the book, I don't feel my brain had enough margin to give it justice. I enjoyed the pictures, but sometimes I only skimmed the writing because I was too tired to really absorb very much of it. I learned a few things, though, so that is good. It was interesting to read how the portrayal of MM has changed over the centuries. I would have enjoyed this better as a documentary on Discovery Channel, I think. But it was still a good read.

I received this as an eARC from NetGalley, but my opinions are my own.

While I enjoyed the artwork far more than the differing tidbits about Mary Magdalene, this is still a mostly informative, if dry, history at times. As someone who grew up Catholic, Mary Magdalene has always been a very interesting subject to me. I wanted more from this. Not necessarily The Da Vinci Code more, but more.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.

This is a fascinating deep dive into the life of Mary Magdalene (MM) and how she is depicted in art and in the bible stories. There is a lot of research here but the book isn’t too ‘academic’. I’m no expert in theology, bible exegesis, or art history but I got a lot out of this book. The narrative takes us through the confusions in the bible (whether deliberate or lazy) and the development of MM’s ‘look’ in paintings through the centuries.

Ms Apostolis-Cappadona shows us that MM is "perhaps the most flexible female in Christian art." The author answers questions about the perception of MM, and who she has become through 2000 years of stories and paintings. There is great biblical confusion about MM and she is conflated with others. This is partly because there were too many people called Mary in the gospels but also because the oral recitation of the stories exacerbated the situation.

I have bookmarked several of the paintings mentioned so that I can look them up and find out more and see them in more detail. This is an excellent addition to any art bookshelf or anyone interested in the story of Mary Magdalene and how she has been maligned in much of our understanding of her.

I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley

This is a scholarly and religious look at the icons and history of Mary Magdalene. The author takes the time to not only present the icons but to explain both the stories/history behind them and the symbolism in them. The author also does an excellent job of trying to "detangle" the many Marys in the bible stories that have been lumped together over the centuries. This book will appeal to both art lovers and biblical story lovers!

I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

If you step foot in any given museum, chances are you’ll see her. She’s the figure with long, red hair that is seldom covered – more often flowing freely down to the small of her back. Her face is often shiny with tears, or solemn in deep contemplation if not. Beside her you’ll inevitably find a small jug, often uncapped. She is none other than Mary Magdalene and her story is one that is known to most in Western society - or is it? Much of Mary Magdalene’s life is shrouded in mystery beneath layers of folk stories. All of this mystery and invention comes to play in the artwork of her throughout the ages.

Diana Apostolos-Cappadona does a wonderful job of disseminating millenia of stories, debate, and cultural meaning behind this saint and sinner in her new book Mary Magdalene: A Visual History (Bloomsbury Academic, 2023.) This hardcover book contains a vast amount of artwork concerning Mary, each piece expertly analyzed and explained by Apostolos-Cappadona.

The author has long been fascinated by Magdalene, and has turned that fascination into years of long study. The book begins by answering a handful of questions concerning her. What is the general perception that the public has about her? How is that perception bolstered or refuted by Christian Scripture? Who, over the past two thousand years, has Mary Magdalene become? This book depicts the journey that Mary has taken in popular consciousness from licentious sinner to penitent preacher, and finally, to her modern day conception as a feminist icon.

This analysis is told not only through writing, but also through popular artwork depicting her throughout the ages. Apostolos-Cappadona shares artwork from a diverse set of artists, and explains how the Magdalene story has held the public’s rapt attention for such a long period of time. She explores the motifs most commonly found within artwork of her, and how the meaning of such motifs has evolved as views towards women have - and why she continues to fascinate and titillate to this very day. This is an excellent introductory work to this aspect of art history that contains insight even for those more familiar with the subject.

This is a really cool book. I love that i can get both a deep dive into some of the scholarly work around this biblical figure and see art work and iconography in beautiful detail.

Mary Magdalene was commonly known as a religious icon known for her red cloak, and long hair. I studied Mary Magdalene not as a religious icon, but as a source used in art. However, MM was not considered to have any importance, until the previous centuries. I enjoyed the manner in which the author used art as a visual timeline. I thought it was interesting that the author used Mary Magdalene as a symbol of feminism. “Mary Magdalene has motivated the voiceless and the discouraged.”
According to the author, MM was ruled by her “female sexual appetite” and earned her living through sex and begging.
Which MM was depicted in the arts? The author answers this question through the art that she uses.
Masaccio”s ‘Crucifixion with Mary, Mary Magdalene’ tells the story of Mary Magdalene's love for Christ, she was kneeling at Christ’s feet while he hung from the cross. She was clothed in a red cloak and her arms were outspread. Botticelli paints the same image, with the difference of MM’s body being exaggerated in her pose. Ambrosia Benson’s beautiful painting portrays MM as a beautiful woman holding a book. I'd like to think that she was an intelligent woman.
It was not just art that the author used as a timeline, She wrote that liturgical music ‘was dedicated to Magdalena’. There were images (MM playing the Lute) that depicted MM playing musical instruments and dances and songs were written in her honor.
This book has an incredible amount of information and I needed more time to unpack the book. Thank you Diane Apostolos-Capoadona, Bloomsbury Publishing, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This is not a book I ever ever usually pick up, but the cover and premise of using art to outline a supposed history was intriguing to me and I am rather glad I read this. I have always been fascinated with theology and this book gives a great analysis of Magdalene’s mythology and how it pertains to modern day social issues regarding women and gender. I can’t say I found it incredibly compelling and this is probably simply because I am not the right audience for this kind of book, as it delves into scriptures for a religion I do not practice. However, I am still able to appreciate what this book is able to accomplish.

This book explores the cultural history and iconography of Mary of Magdala, better known as Mary Magdalene, and how they have developed over the centuries. It looks in detail at and reproduces many beautiful works of art which represent scenes from her life story, and at how she came to have such a significant influence in both Christian and secular culture.

I should declare that I’m not a religious person. I don’t hold any such beliefs. I have a strong interest in religion, however, particularly in relation to its cultural history so I found this a fascinating read. It was interesting to learn the differences between Western and Eastern Christian beliefs about Mary Magdalene’s life and how they developed. In addition to works of visual art, discussions around her cultural representations are comprehensive, ranging from medieval liturgical plays to Lady Gaga’s depiction of her in the ‘Judas’ video. Novels, poems, plays, operas, oratorios, popular songs - Mary Magdalene has featured in them all.

The narrative is quite academic in tone and an interest in art history is helpful though not essential. I found myself making copious notes so that I wouldn’t forget the complexity of the symbolism and stories attached to Mary Magdalene so that I can have a better appreciation of works of art when I see them. It’s hard to imagine that this book will have a wide audience but I found it very interesting and really enjoyed the illustrations.

With thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Academic for a review copy.

loved this book and I think it's extremely important, especially in these times of political, spiritual and artistic revival of Mary Magdalene.

Or is it not a spiritual revival, just a continuation of a long passion people expressed for this very specific character from the Bible?!

This book is necessary and important as it puts into context a lot of the imagery featuring Mary Magdalene that has been produced in history. It offers a broader view, a deeper insight, always accompanied by the right visual to understand those specific periods. In our times, many people who talk about her have lost sight of where the ideas they spread come from, so this research was very much needed.

It, also, shades a light in all the ways she was pictured, her different roles and how you can actually recognize her, what her trademarks are.

As someone very much interested in Mary Magdalene I loved this book for the richness of the visuals, for the abundance of information from so many times and cultures and because it put a light on the uniqueness of this Bible character and how she was used to guide women all throughout history. I can't recommend this book enough.

I received a copy of this in order to offer my personal view on it.

I enjoy thematic reading. Last year during Lent, I read The Meaning of Mary Magdalene by Cynthia Bourgeault. What better way to look forward to Easter than by reading about the Apostle to the Apostles? So when the chance came to read an ARC of Mary Magdalene: A Visual History by Diane Apostolos-Cappadona during Lent this year, of course I jumped at it. Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity.

Mary Magdalene: A Visual History is an expanded version of an exhibition catalog and the bones of its former life show through. It is an academic book, full of informative and interesting footnotes. The vocabulary is technical and I found myself looking up words often to double-check I knew what they meant in this context. All of this to say, it is not a particularly easy book to read and yet it is accessible. Everything is explained so well (and succinctly) even a casual reader would understand the points made. This is a feat I wish more academic writers would strive towards.

Because the author is interested in the way Mary Magdalene has been portrayed through art, the discussion centers around what people have believed not what the author or reader should believe themselves. This relieves the conversation of the burden of belief and the reader is left to enjoy the variety of stories and meanings people have found in the subject. I particularly enjoyed this sideways approach to what is often a controversial topic. I have also enjoyed sharing the interesting asides found throughout the book – Martha and the dragon comes to mind immediately.

Ultimately Mary Magdalene: A Visual History provided me with a solid introduction to the subject matter and left me wanting to know more. The bibliography and abundant footnotes are perfect resources for further exploration.

A vivid description with multiple samples of art inspired by Mary Magdalene over the centuries. Each artist and era depicts her in their own context.

This is a well researched, informative and richly illustrated about one of the most complex and intriguing character of the Gospel: Mary Magdalene.
She's one and many, the woman of the Noli Me Tanger and the women who used her hair to dry Jesus' feet. She's the temptress and she's the anachorete.
This book talks about how she was seen in the different age and how her representations changed.
A fascinating read, not easy but very interesting.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

I enjoyed the pictures most in this read, lol--especially of a painting by a Russian artist that is currently housed in the Russian Orthodox Church of Saint Mary Magdalene, in Gethsemane/Jerusalem. I've seen that church several times while in Jerusalem and wanted to visit, but alas--not yet! One day!

The writing style of this book really wasn't for me--it read too scholarly for my taste; I wasn't always sure what the author was trying to say. So, I ended up looking at the pictures more than anything, and found them the most interesting element of the read.

I think the material would have been of particular interest and relevance presented as a blog or video lecture series.

I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I am fascinated by Mary Magdalene so I thought this would be a good book to read. While I loved the images, I felt this book was a bit academic and a tad dry for your average reader. That being said, I do think this book does have merit and it fulfills a need. It wasn't for me.

Mary Magdalene: A Visual History by Diane Apostolos-Cappadona

Pros: lots of photos, highly informative

Cons: a bit repetitious

Mary Magdalene is a fascinating saint. From simple origins, a few mentions in the New Testament, to becoming amalgamated with other New Testament Marys, to having a variety of stories about where she spent her later years (Ephesus or France), being a sinner, a penitent, a preacher, a feminist icon, her story is constantly evolving.

The book starts with an introduction before separating into two parts. Part One: Towards a Visual History, consists of 7 chapters (Scripture Sources, Patristic Sources, Eastern Christian Narratives & Traditions, Western Christian Narratives & Traditions, Symbols & Devotions, Mary Magdalene through Christian Art, and Coda). This part examines what the scriptures say about the various Marys that were amalgamated into the story of Mary Magdalene and how ‘her’ story was depicted in art through the years. The second part, Motifs, consists of 10 chapters that analyzed specific aspects of Mary Magdalene, and how those were depicted in art (Sinner/Seductress, Penitent, Anointer, Weeper, Witness, Preacher, Contemplative, Reader, Patron, and Feminist Icon). These are short chapters, of 3 to 5 pages each, with 1 to 2 photographs highlighting their subject. The book concludes with an afterward that mentions exhibitions focused on Mary Magdalene and a select bibliography for further reading.

I found the introduction fairly repetitive and a bit harder to parse than the rest of the text. Part one had some great foundation information about how Mary’s story began and developed. It was really interesting seeing how parts of her legend came about. The chapters were thorough and easy to read. While each chapter in part 2 was short, the author packed a lot of great information into them, including mentions of her in early Christian and apocryphal writings. There’s some repetition here as well, though I suspect it’s so each chapter stands on its own. There were occasional page notes with sources for other articles and books to read for more information and a few explanatory notes.

The book has a lot of excellent colour photographs that demonstrate the points the author is making. They cover the variety of motifs Mary Magdalene was used to represent, as well as the various periods during which she has been worshipped.

If you’re interested in Christian saints in general or Mary Magdalene in particular, it’s a fantastic book.

(4/5) This book is a well-researched look at how Mary Magdalene has been portrayed in art throughout the ages. While a bit on the academic side (this book would be perfect for your art historian friend), it remains accessible for non-academic readers as well. Known as the Apostle to the Apostles, Mary Magdalene's portrayal has shifted throughout time, and as Marg Mowczko says in her article Who was Mary the Magdalene?:
We should not downplay Mary’s ministry and her role as one of Jesus’ foremost disciples. We should be especially careful that we do not downplay the significance that Mary Magdalene was the first person to see Jesus alive at the beginning of a new era and that she was commissioned by Jesus to proclaim the message of his resurrection ... the Gospels do show that she was a faithful tower of strength and support among Jesus’ disciples.

Thank you for the advanced copy.

I was drawn to this as I am fascinated by Mary Magdalene which started back in Primary School.
The images collated in this are amazing and I was drawn to the book by this aspect. I believe possibly people will be drawn to this either for the art or a fascination of Mary Magdalene based on how she has been portrayed over the years. I think it may be a little too much for the average reader.

Highly recommended

I was drawn to this book by my interest in art. I appreciate the color photos of paintings, alters pieces, and icons. The text is very scholarly and probably not for the casual reader. Mary Magdalene is fascinating as a female witness to pivotal moments in Christianity. She is identified as a follower and disciple of Christ and a witness to his death and resurrection. She is also mis-identified by Pope Gregory in the fifth century as a fallen woman or prostitute, later recanted by the Catholic church. Her depiction is art and in churches depends on the feelings about her in the time the works are created. If I read correctly she is usually revered in Eastern church theologies and in western works there is a mix of reverence and centuries of depictions of her as penitent or sinner.

I was fascinated to learn some of the legends and apocryphal stories about mission work and travels. The book included some works I’ve seen and added many to my list of places to visit to see paintings, sculptures and even relics. I read carefully the details of what is known of Mary and the confusion of her with other Mary’s of the Bible. I skimmed the art works and read more when interested in the depictions, and symbolism presented. I see this as a very useful resource to an art or religious scholar. Other more casual readers like myself can read for what interests them. Thank you to Bloomsbury Academic, T&T Clark for and ARC in exchange for an honest review.

An interesting topic, but a boring and tedious delivery. This reads more like a book length dissertation rather than an actual visual history. The images used in the text were fantastic, but the focus on them gets swallowed up in the author's need to emphasize her view that Mary Magdalene is a multi-faceted religious figure. This reader ended up examining the images more than the actual text, which came across as pretentious and at times repetitive. It's a shame, as this book could have been so much more.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Academic for access to this ARC, which I voluntarily read and reviewed.