Veronese’s very early canvas in the London National Gallery, now generally believed to represent the Conversion of Mary Magdalene, exhibits compositional devices and formal preferences favoured by the artist throughout his working life and several of these are analysed in the article. The prominent hand gestures are also typical of the artist; they relate closely to gestures in other early paintings and this leads to a discussion of the significance of repeated gestures and their meanings in different contexts. The article concludes with a reconsideration of its subject matter and a reconsideration of the case for the painting representing the healing of the woman ‘with an issue of blood’ who touched the hem of Christ’s garment.