Christus verschijnt aan Maria Magdalena (Noli me tangere). NL-HlmNHA 1477 53010688

In this garden scene, Mary Magdalene looks up in astonishment as she recognizes the risen Christ, who holds a large spade and wears a wide-brimmed gardener's hat. She kneels with her hands pressed to her chest, her traditional ointment jar resting on the ground beside her. The figures are rendered with the powerful, muscular forms and dramatic lighting characteristic of the Dutch Mannerist style.

The depiction of Christ as a gardener (based on John 20:15) was a popular motif that Haarlem Mannerists like Goltzius used to blend sacred narrative with classical figure studies. The accompanying Latin verse by Simon Sovius employs syncretic language, referring to Christ as the 'conqueror of the Stygian tyrant,' bridging Christian theology with classical underworld mythology.