Noli me Tangere

Noli Me Tangere, painted around 1633, depicts the risen Christ's appearance to Mary Magdalene in the garden, telling her not to touch him. The subject was popular throughout the Renaissance and Baroque periods for its combination of intimate human emotion with the mystery of the Resurrection. Cortona brings his characteristic energy and color to this moment of recognition and restraint. Characteristic of Cortona's approach, the work displays exuberant illusionism, dynamic compositions, rich color, grand decorative schemes.

The encounter between Christ and Magdalene is rendered with a dynamic tension between approach and withdrawal, the figures's gestures creating a spatial dialogue. Warm, atmospheric light and a lush garden setting frame the miraculous encounter with Baroque naturalism.