Abstract

The iconography of Eve has been greatly influenced by male-dominated religious and cultural institutions. As a biblical figure, her narrative has been interpreted through textual analysis and visual imagery throughout Western Europe, a society that is inherently patriarchal. Doctrines of the Catholic Church and the male gaze in visual culture have impacted interpretations of Eve, relating her sexuality to gender roles perpetuated by classical ideals of the female nude. Specifically, comparative analysis of 17th century painter Peter Paul Rubens works Adam and Eve (1597-1600) and The Union of Earth and Water (1618) demonstrates how representation of female sexuality differs in his compositions of a biblical Eve and the ancient goddess Cybele. The women in these paintings are depicted as classical notions of the female nude and represent origin myths, one pagan and one Christian. The compositions of both paintings are reflective of their respective narratives, however, it is the body language of the main figures that this paper critically analyzes. Eve’s body is representative of the sexual deviance and tempting nature of women while Cybele’s figure represents fertility and maternal nature. Eve has historically been subject to interpretation through a strictly patriarchal lens. By questioning Rubens’ approaches to gendered portrayals and incorporating feminist scholarship, this inquiry provides a new lens to interpret Eve’s iconography as representative of agency and power.

How to Cite