Mary Magdalene is kneeling, reaching out with her arms toward Jesus. She is wearing a blue dress, belted with gold, and a red wrap highlighting her active motion toward Jesus. Jesus stands apart from Mary, his hand alluding to his warning not to touch Him. He is dressed in blue, holding a Crusader banner topped with a gold cross. Mary’s body creates a visual diagonal line across the painting, drawing the viewer’s eye to Jesus and up to the cross. A large palm tree fills the painting’s left side, representing Jesus’s martyrdom. In the background, a bridge aligns with Mary’s left fingertips, connecting her to Christ at His arm.

Andrea Del Sarto’s painting depicts the resurrection scene from John 20:17, when Jesus said, "touch me not (noli me tangere), for I have yet to go to kingdom of heaven." Sarto created the painting for the church of San Gallo in Florence and received much acclaim for his work.