Let Her Be

A woman poured expensive perfume on Jesus’ head—identified in the Gospel of John as Mary of Bethany—while he was at the home of Simon the leper. Jesus defended her actions, saying she was preparing him for burial, and declared that her act would be remembered wherever the gospel was preached. The incident is recorded in all four Gospels: Matthew 26:6–13, Mark 14:3–9, Luke 7:36–50, and John 12:1–8.

I have painted this passage quite often, but I’m always on the lookout for new compositions—new ways to picture the story that “will be retold whenever the Gospel is preached.”

In this composition, Mary is sandwiched between Jesus and the disciples. One of her hands rests over her heart, signaling her singular love for Him, while the other pours perfume over His head, anchoring her to Him spatially. Jesus gestures toward the disciples, signaling that they should “leave her be,” while also connecting the foreground and background compositionally. The disciples’ irregular placement on the left echoes their confusion and dismay at witnessing Mary’s bold and unorthodox act. Their agitation contrasts to the regularity of the vertical wall divisions on the right.

The door frames Mary’s hand as she anoints Jesus’ head for His imminent burial—the deeper meaning of this narrative. The bowl of grapes provides necessary visual weight, as well as signaling the wine, symbolizing the blood that would soon be shed for us at Christ’s crucifixion.