Transformation of Composition and Gaze Interaction in Noli Me Tangere Depictions from 1300–1600

This paper examines the development of figure composition and gaze dynamics between Mary Magdalene and Christ in Italian noli me tangere depictions from 1300 to 1600 in the context of the emergence of perspective painting. It combines a conceptual, interpretative approach concerning the tactility of the gaze with a compositional analysis. This preliminary study analyzes 51 iconographical images to understand how the gazes between Mary and Christ evolve from pre-perspective to perspective artworks. We estimate gaze direction solely from landmark points, following the assumption that the gaze direction can be estimated from the overall face orientation. Additionally, we develop a metric to quantify the degree of visual interaction between the two protagonists. Our results indicate that Christ is consistently depicted gazing down towards Mary, while Mary displays a broader range of gaze directions. Before the introduction of perspective, the gaze of figures was often rendered solely through face orientation. However, with the advent of the high renaissance, artists began to use complex gestures that separated head orientation from the line of sight.