Mary Magdalene anointing Christ's feet during the meal in the house of Simon the Pharisee

Mary Magdalene Anointing Christ's Feet, dated 1640 and now in the Hessen Kassel Heritage collection, depicts one of the most richly layered episodes in the New Testament — a scene combining repentance, devotion, and controversy. In the Gospel account, a woman widely identified with Mary Magdalene enters the house of Simon the Pharisee, washes Christ's feet with her tears, and anoints them with expensive ointment, to the scandal of the guests. The subject appealed to Baroque painters for its theatrical potential: a gathering of figures reacting with shock and disapproval around the central act of tender penitence. By 1640 Wolffort was a mature painter whose handling of complex multi-figure compositions had been refined over decades. The scene's emotional arc — from judgment to forgiveness — resonated deeply with Counter-Reformation spirituality, which emphasised the possibility of redemption through sincere contrition.

On canvas, Wolffort organises a complex interior scene around the dramatic centre of the Magdalene's prostrate figure at Christ's feet. He contrasts her humility with the upright, disapproving posture of the Pharisee. Varied lighting picks out the alabaster jar — the ointment vessel — as a compositional accent. Face painting across the assembled figures demonstrates his skill at differentiating character types.