The traditional reading of this painting The Magdalen Reading, c. 1435, is of the subject turning a page, with her alabaster jar of ointment beside her. This is a fragment of altarpiece by Rogier van der Weyden, influential Flemish artist (c.1400-1464), pupil of Robert Campin, court painter to Duke of Burgundy. oil on panel, National Gallery London.
But archeologist Sarah May has had an interesting re-interpretation – that it's clearly a painting of a woman on a CrossCountry train, having found a place to sit on the floor and read, her coffee cup beside her, with folks queuing for the loo behind her.
She's using her red rucksack as a cushion, very sensible, as those floors can be filthy.
The look on her face is as sublime as her green dress, and she is absorbed in her book. Amazing composure and concentration really, considering how loud and rattling those trains are – another sure sign of her sainthood. It is good that her book is quite long, as she has probably been stopped at a red signal for the last 15 minutes.
An alternate title could be The Magdalen (between Basingstoke and) Reading.
This is the scene at the next station, with the young folk amusing themselves:
Thanks to archeologist Sarah May for her sharp eye and permission to reproduce her Bluesky thread here.
