The work was commissioned by Pierre Corpici, a cloth-merchant who knew Barthélemy's stepfather,[1] and combines influences from the Early Netherlandish art of Robert Campin and Jan van Eyck with those of Claus Sluter who worked at Dijon, and Colantonio from Naples (although some see this last influence as flowing in the other direction).

Together with a fine portrait dated 1456 (Lichtenstein Collection, Vienna), and a fragment with a small crucified Christ in the Louvre, this is the only surviving panel painting associated with Barthélemy d'Eyck; most of his later works are illuminated manuscripts commissioned by René of Anjou.

When used as an altarpiece, side panels of the triptych would be kept closed most of the time, displaying a Noli me tangere scene with kneeling Mary Magdalene on the left and Christ walking away from her on the right.

The two panels do not form a continuous scene, however; Mary Magdalene is placed among lush green hills, while Christ is surrounded by a more desolate, desert-like landscape.

The light is of clearly Flemish derivation (Robert Campin), such as (although with some Provençal elements) the minute details, including the winged devil and the bat in the left arch.