An interesting topic, but a boring and tedious delivery. This reads more like a book length dissertation rather than an actual visual history. The images used in the text were fantastic, but the focus on them gets swallowed up in the author's need to emphasize her view that Mary Magdalene is a multi-faceted religious figure. This reader ended up examining the images more than the actual text, which came across as pretentious and at times repetitive. It's a shame, as this book could have been so much more.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Academic for access to this ARC, which I voluntarily read and reviewed.

A very deep analysis of the figure of Mary Magdalene, collected information of various sources, the narrative and tradition, the symbols, the representation in art through the centuries, the multiple aspects .of her character and activity.
Rich in text and images, the volume will surely be appreciated by those who want to know every detail while it is simply too much for the average reader.

Mary Magdalene as reflected through art is what drew me to this book. Apostolos-Cappadona’s selections are varied and support her argument that “by her very nature the Magdalene is ambiguous and constantly in flux.” Images are accompanied by expository texts that outline the varied roles in which Mary Magdalene was portrayed such as sinner, penitent, anointer, weeper, witness, and preacher. Items ranging from book jackets to album covers, from film stills to the stage, from altarpieces to literature and musical composition, demonstrate the enduring interest in one of the various Marys who populated the stories or Christianity’s origins.

This book dives into Mary Magdalene and the iconography surrounding her. It discusses what is actually written in the Bible and what is taught about her in various religious traditions. It goes over how she has been depicted over through history and how it has evolved over time. I loved having the illustrations included in the book so I could see what was being described. I was particularly moved by the Artemisia Gentileschi which I was not familiar with before.. I believe that this book is likely for academic distribution rather than a general consumer and I think this will be perfect for those purposes. For the time at university when I was an art history major this is exactly the type of book I checked out as reference material for papers.

Pros: As someone who wishes she had been an art history major, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to read this book about how artists have depicted Mary Magdalene over 500+ years. This book does a fantastic job explaining the enigma Magdalene is to artists and how culture has viewed and treated her depiction over time. I was especially interested to learn about the motifs and symbols used to depict her. I thought the reproduction of the images throughout was lovely and appreciated the captions and footnotes.

Cons: None except I wish I could travel to see in person the works discussed or attend a lecture on the subject.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Academic, T&T Clark for the opportunity to read this book.

There is an air of mystery surrounding Mary of Magdalene. This book is very engaging and thorough discovering more about this Mary from the bible. I never realized what a powerful figure she was politically or historically. Getting to know this Mary was excellent. Anyone who enjoys history or biblical readings would enjoy this book and find a lot of interesting information within it.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Mary Magdalene.

One of the most famous Marys in the Bible, right behind the Virgin Mary, Mary Magdalene is known by many things: sinner, devout, faithful, icon, and feminist.

But, who was she, the individual, the woman, the devout follower of Jesus, and a fascinating, complex woman in her own right?

With stunning visual art, the author seeks out to discover the woman behind the name.

The author describes her quest to find out who Mary was; we know very little about her, and it turns out she is a combination of three women named Mary or "a muddle of Marys."

The author describes how Mary Magdalene has been depicted in literature, art, paintings, sculptures, and relics throughout the world; how her story and background is altered to fit with the country's political and religious climate.

Even though there are not factual likenesses of Mary Magdalene, her power and influence can't be underestimated; her stories and teachings have been passed down through the centuries and will continue into the future.

The author has done extensive research, demonstrating her passion and love for this iconic woman.

I never realized how many paintings and relics contain an image of Mary Magdalene (and I'm sure what's in the book is just a small portion of the numerous images out there!)

This was a fascinating and thought provoking read and I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoy religious and art history.

Mary Magdalene: A Visual History by Diane Apostolos-Cappadona is a great nonfiction book and collection of images of the infamous, but yet often misunderstood, Mary Magdalene throughout the ages.

For all that her name brings to the mind when encountered, what is truly known and understood about Mary Magdalene (no not that Mary…not the Blessed Virgin Mary), can leave one feeling confused and on uneven territory.

The author describes her interest, background, and some of her quests at the beginning of the book to set the stage of who this woman was, why she is important, and yet how little we know of her and her physical attributes.

She goes on to show, depict, and describe the many different images, paintings, sculptures, relics, and so forth throughout locations and times of Mary Magdalene that have been created, and not only what that says about the woman herself ( we actually do not have a true image of her that has been found as of yet), but also what history is associated with each example about how it fits into this overall image.

The images presented were plentiful ( I never knew there were so many) , descriptive, and the author clearly has a passion, interest, and has put her time in in regards to research.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one. For anyone that enjoys not only religion, but also religious and biblical history, and art history as well.

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and T&T Clark/ Bloomsbury Academic for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 2/23/23.