Noli Me Tangere - Gerard de Jode

A detailed hand-coloured engraving by Gerard de Jode depicting the biblical Noli Me Tangere scene set within a formal sixteenth-century garden.

This hand-coloured engraving by Gerard de Jode depicts the biblical encounter between the resurrected Christ and Mary Magdalene. The scene is set within a structured, walled garden, a common motif in sixteenth-century Netherlandish art that blends theological narrative with contemporary horticultural design. Christ is shown holding a spade, a visual reference to the Gospel of John where Mary Magdalene initially mistakes him for a gardener.

De Jode, a prominent cartographer and printmaker based in Antwerp, produced this work as part of a larger series illustrating biblical events. The composition follows the conventions of the period, placing the figures in the foreground while a detailed townscape occupies the distance. The use of colour, applied by hand to the original monochrome engraving, adds a layer of descriptive detail to the garments and the surrounding flora. The Latin inscription at the base provides the scriptural context for the meeting, while the French text below offers a translation for the reader, reflecting the multilingual nature of the print market in the Low Countries during the late sixteenth century.

The figures are rendered with a focus on clear, legible gestures. Mary Magdalene kneels in a posture of reverence, her gaze fixed upon Christ, who stands with a calm, authoritative presence. The garden itself is divided into geometric beds, demonstrating the influence of formal garden planning on the visual arts of the era. The print serves as a record of both the religious iconography and the aesthetic preferences of the Northern Renaissance, capturing a moment of transition between the medieval tradition and the emerging naturalism of the Dutch Golden Age. This piece is a fine example of the technical precision found in Antwerp print workshops, where collaboration between engravers and publishers was essential to the dissemination of religious imagery across Europe.