Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, a woman came to him having an alabaster jar of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he sat at the table.But when his disciples saw this, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? For this ointment might have been sold for much and given to the poor.” However, knowing this, Jesus said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? She has done a good work for me.For you always have the poor with you, but you don’t always have me. For in pouring this ointment on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. Most certainly I tell you, wherever this Good News is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of as a memorial of her.” Matthew 26:6-13
A rich, honey amber color dominates most of this painting as if the whole scene has been encased in a single drop of the precious ointment that the woman is pouring on Jesus’ head. The color is overtaking the figures in a similar way the sweet smell must have overtaken everyone in the room at that time. And visually, everything is pulling slowly downward, mirroring the stream running from the bottle in the center of the composition: the curved shape of the canvas, Mary’s rippling hair, the graphic lines of their garments, and their downcast eyes.
This painting is a contemporary and stylized take on a famous moment in scripture. Rose Datoc Dall has created many paintings of the life of Jesus, usually in this style: a blend of smooth realism with warm/cool lighting and exaggerated reflected light in the shadows and graphic art-nouveau-esque linework, all within a limited color palette. There is intentional simplicity, which focuses the viewer’s attention on certain areas of the composition, the faces.
Mary’s expression is very interesting in how serious and neutral it is; usually, women in narrative paintings are given very obvious emotional expressions, but she seems to be keeping her emotions to herself and focusing her attention instead on this action. This anointing is an outpouring of her emotion, sure, but more so is an outpouring of her faith, and that is emphasized here. Christ’s face is actually more emotional, and usually, He is the more stoic one in artwork! But here He seems so vulnerable, and humble, accepting this act of worship with His whole being, as if He is paying attention to the feel of it trickling down His hair, breathing in the scent, and really sitting with the reality of what He is about to do: go to the cross, die, and bear the sins of all of humanity. And He appreciated her honoring Him in that, despite her being a sinner herself, and a woman, and not even understanding the full weight of His coming death. He is so humble. And He even goes so far as to honor her, promising that she will be remembered for this forever, turning the tables on the indignance of the disciples. This very painting is a result of that promise! Their ignorance was even more ill-timed than usual, ruining a very weighty moment for Him. This anointing must have been an island of solace, sent for Him from His Father, in the middle of increasing tension as this story is sandwiched between the religious leaders seeking how to destroy Him and Judas meeting them to sell his betrayal. The passage of time hurtled Him toward the completion of His mission as a man on earth. And this painting seeks to capture that, in all its richness.
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