Janet McKenzie’s triptych The Succession of Mary Magdalene tells the story of Mary Magdalene from Companion, through The One Sent by Jesus, to Apostle to the Apostles. In this first panel, Companion, she is depicted as we meet her in Luke 8, alongside Susanna and Joanna. Her spiritual growth and development across the three panels is emphasized by her youthful presentation here. She stands centrally, with her eyes closed, having retreated contemplatively within herself; in the latter two panels, she looks directly out at the viewer.

Cloaked in a regal purple, the Magdalene holds a sheaf of wheat, symbolic of the critical role she will play in the resurrection. Susanna, to the left, is recognizable by the distinctive petals of the flower she holds; her name derives from the Arabic sawsan, meaning ‘lily’. Joanna, to the right, holds a cross and is dressed in brown. This garb and attribute might invite us to think of John the Baptist, beheaded at the request of Herod Antipas, the man who employed her husband (Luke 9:9; Mark 6:17–29; Matthew 14:6–12).

We know from Luke 8:3 that these were women ‘of means’ who played a key role in supporting Jesus’s ministry. The artist has described them as ‘a powerful trinity of gifts’. (MMACC 2020). The wheat reminds us that, as first witness to the resurrection, the Magdalene will go on to be more than a financier of the one she follows. Nonetheless, we should not forget the other women either. Richard Bauckham (2002: 165–185), for example, has argued that Joanna goes on to become the apostle Junia (Romans 16:7) and Luke includes her at the tomb alongside the Magdalene (24:10).

McKenzie’s powerful portrayal assures viewers that these women are no longer afflicted by ‘evil spirits and infirmities’ (Luke 8:2) and anchors them at the heart of Jesus’s ministry.

References

Bauckham, Richard. 2002. Gospel Women: Studies of the Named Women in the Gospels (London: Bloomsbury)

MMACC: Mary Magdalene Apostle Catholic Community. 2020. ‘15th Anniversary Year: 2005–20 Feast of Mary Magdalene the Apostle’, available at https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.cloversites.com/c4/c426c66a-3e96-4114-a2c2-5e43b22073e1/documents/2020-07-26-FeastofMM-worshipaid.pdf [accessed 23 February 2023]