Christ at Simon the Pharisee 1620

Peter Paul Rubens painted 'Christ at Simon the Pharisee' using oil on canvas. The painting captures a biblical scene where a woman, traditionally identified as Mary Magdalene, washes Jesus' feet with her tears and dries them with her hair during a dinner at the house of Simon, a Pharisee. Rubens, deeply embedded in the Catholic Counter-Reformation, often depicted scenes that emphasized forgiveness and redemption. Here, the emotional intensity of the moment challenges the rigid social and religious norms of the time. Mary Magdalene, often seen as a symbol of repentance and transformation, embodies the complex intersections of gender and morality. Her act of devotion, contrasting with the judgmental gaze of Simon and his guests, underscores themes of divine grace and social acceptance. What do you feel as you consider how this act of intimate service redefines societal hierarchies?