 The Magdalen Reading is one of three surviving fragments of a large mid @-@ 15th @-@ century oil on panel altarpiece by the Early Netherlandish painter Rogier van der Weyden . The panel , originally oak , was completed some time between 1435 and 1438 and has been in the National Gallery , London since 1860 . It shows a woman with the pale skin , high cheek bones and oval eyelids typical of the idealised portraits of noble women of the period . She is identifiable as the Magdalen from the jar of ointment placed in the foreground , which is her traditional attribute in Christian art . She is presented as completely absorbed in her reading , a model of the contemplative life , repentant and absolved of past sins . In Catholic tradition the Magdalen was conflated with both Mary of Bethany who anointed the feet of Jesus with oil and the unnamed " sinner " of Luke 7 : 36 – 50 . Iconography of the Magdalen commonly shows her with a book , in a moment of reflection , in tears , or with eyes averted . Van der Weyden pays close attention to detail in many passages , in particular the folds and cloth of the woman 's dress , the rock crystal of the rosary beads held by the figure standing over her , and the lushness of the exterior . 
 The Magdalen Reading <a href='drop_aux' title='1'><mark>is</mark></a>one of three surviving fragments of a large mid @-@ 15th @-@ century oil on panel altarpiece by the Early Netherlandish painter Rogier van der Weyden . The panel , originally oak , was completed some time between 1435 and 1438 and <a href='uninflect' title='2'><mark>has</mark></a> been in the National Gallery , London since 1860 . It <a href='uninflect' title='3'><mark>shows</mark></a> a woman with the pale skin , high cheek bones and oval eyelids typical of the idealised portraits of noble women of the period . She <a href='drop_aux' title='4'><mark>is</mark></a>identifiable as the Magdalen from the jar of ointment placed in the foreground , which <a href='drop_aux' title='5'><mark>is</mark></a>her traditional attribute in Christian art . She is presented as completely absorbed in her reading , a model of the contemplative life , repentant and absolved of past sins . In Catholic tradition the Magdalen was conflated with both Mary of Bethany <a href='null_relcl' title='6'><mark>who</mark></a>anointed the feet of Jesus with oil and the unnamed " sinner " of Luke 7 : 36 – 50 . Iconography of the Magdalen commonly <a href='uninflect' title='7'><mark>shows</mark></a> her with a book , in a moment of reflection , in tears , or with eyes averted . Van der Weyden <a href='uninflect' title='8'><mark>pays</mark></a> close attention to detail in many passages , in particular the folds and cloth of the woman <a href='null_genetive' title='9'><mark>'s</mark></a>dress , the rock crystal of the rosary beads held by the figure standing over her , and the lushness of the exterior . 
Da Magdalen Reading one of three surviving fragments of a bigass mid @-@ 15th @-@ century oil on panel altarpiece by the Early Netherlandish painter Rogier van der Weyden . Tdapanel , originally oak , was completed sum time between 1435 and 1438 and have been in the National Gallery , London since 1860 . It show a woman with thdaale skin , high cheek bones and oval eyelids typical of the idealised portraits of noble women of the period . She identifiable as thedagdalen from the jar of ointment placed in the daeground , which her traditional attribute in Christian art . She is presented as completely absorbed in her reading , a model of the contemplative life , repentant and absolved of past sins . In Catholic tradition the Mdaalen was conflated with both Mary of Bethany anointed the fedaof Jesus with oil and the unndad " sinner " of Luke 7 : 36 – 50 . Iconography of the Magdalen commonly show her wid a book , in a moment of reflection , in tears , or with eyes averted . Van der Weyden pay close attention to detail in many passages , in particular the folds and cloth of the woman  dress , the rock crystal of the rosary beads held by the figure standing over her , and the lushdas of the exterda .