Description
The Noli me tangere in the Magdalen Chapel depicts Mary Magdalene's encounter with the risen Christ after the discovery of the empty tomb. Mary kneels in the foreground and reaches toward Jesus, who stands at the right in a posture combining presence and withdrawal. Behind them, two angels remain beside the open tomb, while rocky terrain and trees define the garden setting.
The exchange between the two principal figures is constructed almost entirely through gesture. Mary advances with outstretched arms in recognition and desire for contact, while Christ responds with a movement that restrains her approach. The tension between advance and withdrawal gives immediate visual form to the words 'Noli me tangere'. Christ appears in pale garments and with a luminous presence that distinguishes him from the surrounding landscape.
