Fotoreproductie van een schilderij door Lambert Sustris, voorstellend een Noli me tangere before 1872

This photogravure reproduces a painting of the “Noli me tangere,” or Christ’s appearance to Mary Magdalene after the Resurrection, by Lambert Sustris. It comes from an anonymous book. Sustris was a Dutch artist, who spent many years in Italy, and this image reflects the strong influence of Italian painting on Northern artists in the 16th century. It also demonstrates the power of the Church as a patron and subject of art. The “Noli me tangere” theme, drawn from the Gospel of John, was popular in the Catholic countries of Europe. The title, “Do not touch me”, reflects the prohibition by the resurrected Christ to the formerly sinful Mary Magdalene. Images of the New Testament provided moral lessons, but they also served to reinforce the position of the Church in society and the prevailing gender norms. To understand its significance we can trace not only the visual codes of the image, but also the social institutions which commissioned it.