05/04/2025
MRAH – KMKG
10h30
Between the 4th and 8th centuries AD, numerous Christian images were produced in Egypt. Narrative, timeless or symbolic, their iconography draws on various textual sources revolving around the biblical corpus: canonical texts from the Old and New Testaments, and apocryphal texts. Through this category of images, this communication will focus particularly on the representations of New Testament female figures produced or present in the late antique Egyptian space.
While the Virgin occupies the most important place quantitatively, other figures also appear regularly, such as Elizabeth, or the midwife mentioned in the apocryphal accounts of the life of Mary and Christ. At the same time, particular attention can be paid to the female figures, often anonymous, who are mentioned in miracles or parables. Beyond a simple overview of these figures, this paper will be an opportunity to examine the choices that govern their representation in images: what are the preferred media? Are they public or private images? What models of femininity do these representations reflect? The answers to these questions will thus make it possible to draw some major iconographic trends and variations, from the dawn of the Byzantine period to the aftermath of the Arab conquest.