This painting depicts Mary Magdalene as the priestess of the wild woods of southern France, where the Gnostic tradition says she sailed after the Crucifixion with several companions (the place where they landed becoming known as Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer). One Gnostic story tells of her often leaving her followers to spend time in the dark forests accompanied by wolves and other beasts, earning her the title ‘Mistress of Wild Things’. She is at one with nature and unafraid of the inner darkness of the forest of the soul. This painting was posed for by a priestess devoted to Mary Magdalene, who leads pilgrimages to Sainte-Baume, the mountain home of Magdalene’s church in Provence which can be seen in the picture beyond the poppy fields. Copyright Nic Phillips 2015. Acrylic on canvas (38in x 48in).
