Mary Magdalene. Sin. Pray. Love.

PRESS RELEASE

AUTUMN HIGHLIGHT AT THE STÄDEL: MARY MAGDALENE THROUGH THE CENTURIES
FIRST COMPREHENSIVE EXHIBITION IN THE GERMAN-SPEAKING WORLD DEVOTED TO ONE OF THE MOST FASCINATING FIGURES IN ART HISTORY / TICKET PRE-SALES NOW OPEN
Press preview: Wednesday, 16 September 2026, 11.00 am

From Dürer to Lady Gaga, from Beckmann to Lotte Laserstein: beginning 17 September 2026, the Städel Museum and the Liebieghaus Skulpturensammlung will present the first comprehensive exhibition in the German-speaking world dedicated to the extraordinary figure of Mary Magdalene. The exhibition, “Mary Magdalene. Sin. Pray. Love.”, traces the transformation of her image over the centuries—from apostle and devoted follower of Jesus to sinner and ascetic penitent, from ecstatic saint to modern, self-determined woman and identification figure. At the heart of the exhibition are key works from the collections of the Städel Museum and the Liebieghaus Skulpturensammlung. More than 100 outstanding paintings, sculptures and works on paper spanning from the Middle Ages to the present day—including major loans from German and international collections—offer a multifaceted perspective on the artistic and emotional range of representations of Mary Magdalene. With a special focus on women artists, the Städel Museum will feature works by Lavinia Fontana, Elisabetta Sirani, Luisa Roldán, Lotte Laserstein, Kiki Smith, Marlene Dumas and Nieves González, alongside masterpieces by renowned male artists such as Albrecht Dürer, Pedro de Mena, Guercino, Georges de La Tour, Claude Lorrain, Auguste Rodin, Arnold Böcklin, Max Beckmann and David LaChapelle.

Philipp Demandt, Director of the Städel Museum and the Liebieghaus Skulpturensammlung, explains: “One of the particular strengths of both the Städel Museum and the Liebieghaus Skulpturensammlung is the ability to present art across historical periods and to connect historical themes with contemporary questions. In recent years, we have repeatedly dedicated our major exhibitions to significant women artists, including Ottilie W. Roederstein, Lotte Laserstein and, most recently, Annegret Soltau. With ‘Mary Magdalene. Sin. Pray. Love.’, we now turn our attention to one of the most influential female figures in art history. Few subjects have been depicted and reinterpreted in such diverse ways over the centuries. We are delighted to present a comprehensive exploration of Mary Magdalene’s rich visual history and to shed light on a figure through whom questions of gender roles, spirituality and female experience continue to resonate today.”

You can find the full press release here as a PDF.