Mary Magdalene, Patron Saint of Perfumers

A kiss of sunflowers…

I often draw and paint Mary Magdalene with different flowers. This is both because I love flowers and because Mary Magdalene is the patron saint of perfumers. As one of the women that go to the tomb to anoint Jesus Christ, she is usually shown holding the anointing oil.

Another association is the “sinful woman” who interrupts a dinner at the house of Simon the Pharisee. She brings with her an alabaster flask of expensive nard ointment. She washes Jesus' feet with her tears and dries them with her hair. She anoints Jesus’ feet with her ointment.

Another “sinful woman” anoints Jesus’ head at the house of Simon the Leper in Bethany. She pours expensive ointment from her alabaster flask onto Jesus’ head.

Also in Bethany, Mary of Bethany took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

In Medieval art, the scenes of the Bible are a source of images for the Medieval imagination. The Magdalene was one of the most popular saints at that time, and every saint was identified by an attribute, an image that helped identify the character easily.

This is why we can tell who is Mary Magdalene in Medieval art. We just need to look at what the saint holds in her hands.

And this is also why she has long hair (to dry Jesus’ feet) and is often shown crying (to wash Jesus’ feet).

Sunflowers are probably not the most popular flowers for perfume, but they are beautiful and always look at the sun, a symbol of God. Plus, they are fun to draw!