Vision and Submission: Iconography of Prophetic Women from Antiquity to the Nineteenth Century

The ironic tension between supernatural abilities and supernatural submission is particularly relevant in iconography of prophetic women. The societal changes happening throughout history influence the portrayal of these women and their connection to supplication from antiquity to the nineteenth century. By looking at these visual works chronologically, it becomes apparent that there are several trends of depiction that align with the anxieties around women and power. The first section outlines how the depictions of seers in antiquity set the trend as both ritualistic and emotional supplication, putting the seer at the lowest visual and societal point. The second section spans from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance showing their supplication as purely devotional, switching from pagan ideas to the context of Christianity, making these works about the divine higher power instead of the mystic abilities of the women. The third section is focused on the transformational qualities of supplication, and how the seers' gifts and choice of boon can lead to an unknown physical or emotional change, parallel to the Protestant and Counter Reformation. The final section jumps to the nineteenth century, as there were very few depictions of seers in the eighteenth. This section recognizes a blending of the two forms of supplication, making the works both ritualistic and emotional. This paper argues that even though they have extraordinary power, these women are always shown dependent on the male figure in their stories, highlighting their subservience to another power because their abilities are useless in the face of any societal issues.

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Vision and Submission: Iconography of Prophetic Women from Antiquity to the Nineteenth Century

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