The story of Lazarus, who had been dead and buried for four days before Jesus brought him back to life, is related in the Bible (John 11:1-44). In this painting the main protagonist is neither Jesus (the standing figure in blue) nor the pasty-green Lazarus. The main focus here falls on the sister of Lazarus, Mary Magdalene, whose story is recounted in the apocryphal “Golden Legend”.
The scenes in the background show some of the pious deeds of Mary Magdalene, made during the ten years after the resurrection of Lazarus. The painting originally served as the centrepiece of a triptych altarpiece; it used to be twice the size and had a curving top. In its present form it features later additions that have been painted in other colours to show that they are not original.
