Heilige familie met Anna en Maria Magdalena 1602 - 1616

Editor: This is Jacques Bellange’s “Holy Family with Anna and Mary Magdalene,” made between 1602 and 1616. It's an engraving, and it has this delicate, almost dreamlike quality, despite depicting such a loaded scene. What strikes you when you look at it? Curator: Immediately, I'm drawn to how Bellange uses the composition to subtly challenge established hierarchies. We have the expected figures, but consider Mary Magdalene's presence, often framed within discourses of sin and redemption. Her inclusion invites us to question the traditionally rigid roles assigned to women in religious narratives and Baroque society, doesn't it? Editor: That’s interesting. I always thought of Mary Magdalene as a more standard figure within a Holy Family context, just a devoted follower. Curator: Perhaps. But, we might consider, whose devotion are we actually viewing here? Where do we find female desire present in the engraving? Note how the traditional arrangement is altered. It reflects the emerging intellectual debates that were slowly disrupting conventional assumptions, particularly about gender and power. Notice her gaze is averted; could it suggest her simultaneous proximity to and exclusion from the Holy Family? What power structures does the work subtly uphold and which does it undermine? Editor: I see what you mean. I never really considered it within that kind of social framework. Is there anything else within the cultural context to think about when we view this? Curator: Absolutely. Consider how Baroque art often functioned as a form of propaganda for the Church. Yet, here, the emotional complexity of Mary Magdalene and the other female figures adds layers of meaning. It isn’t just a straightforward devotional image; it’s also a space for contemplation about female agency. Thinking about Jacques Bellange and gender makes me want to investigate other works from his time. Editor: Definitely, this reframing provides much more to consider. Thank you.