The National Gallery is taking a major new exhibition on the life and legacy of Mary Magdalene on tour across the north of England in 2027. Mary Magdalene: Woman and Myth will open at the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool (6 February – 23 May), before travelling to the Millennium Gallery in Sheffield (17 June – 12 September) and eventually Auckland Palace in Bishop Auckland (29 September 2027 – 2 January 2028). This marks the first major UK show to explore Mary Magdalene through historic and contemporary art, examining how her image has been shaped by centuries of power and misrepresentation.
Bringing together eight paintings from the National Gallery’s collection alongside key international loans, the exhibition spans works from the Renaissance to the present. Highlights include paintings by Carlo Crivelli, Annibale Carracci and Giovanni Girolamo Savoldo, alongside Saint Mary Magdalene in the Desert by Pierre Puvis de Chavannes and contemporary works by Jesse Jones, Alice Maher and Rachel Fallon. Every venue will also incorporate works from its own collection, creating a distinct experience for the visitors at every stop.
Rather than presenting Mary Magdalene just as the repentant sinner of popular tradition, the exhibition re-examines her role as a devoted follower of Jesus, witness to the Resurrection and a figure whose story has been repeatedly reinterpreted throughout history. Drawing connections to contemporary feminist discourse, the show explores how women’s histories are reshaped and sometimes erased. Exhibition curator Dr Siobhán Jolley describes the project as an opportunity to consider “who is remembered, who is misrepresented, and whose voices are heard.”
