Here is Veronese's 16th century Conversion of Mary Magdalene. It is oil on canvas and measures about 64-1/2 inches by 46-1/2 inches. It resides in the National Gallery in London, England.
The artwork depicts a mythical moment when the Magdalene, clad in sumptuous attire, turns away from her worldly life toward Our Lord. The artist symbolizes this by showing her necklace slipping from her neck as she falls to the ground upon hearing Jesus' preaching. The woman with her is St. Martha.
One might think of this as a sudden conversion similar to that of Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus when he suddenly grasps that Jesus is the Messiah, leading him to become St. Paul. Of course no event like the one in this artwork of Mary Magdalene is presented in the Gospels. Some scholars believe Veronese based it on a book popular at the time that took many liberties with the Gospel.
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