Noli me tangere 1524

Hans Holbein the Younger painted "Noli me tangere" at some point in the 16th century, when traditional religious beliefs were being questioned across Europe. Holbein's painting depicts the moment when Mary Magdalene encounters the resurrected Jesus outside his tomb. The Latin title, meaning "Touch me not," refers to Jesus's words to her. But look closer. Here, Mary Magdalene, easily identifiable by the jar of ointment she carries, reaches out to Christ, but he recoils. Painted during the Reformation, the image speaks to debates about religious doctrine and the role of imagery itself. The reformed church would have had very different ideas about the use of images than the Catholic church. To understand this work fully, we need to delve into the history of the Reformation, considering theological debates and artistic traditions of the period. Only then can we grasp the complex relationship between art, religion, and society.