Question

How had the female figures become an allegory of the nation during nineteenth century in Europe? Analyse.

Answer 1

Nationalism required personalizing a nation. Countries were often portrayed as female to give shape to an abstract idea. Often cultural icons such as trees or aspirational values such as liberty and justice needed icons and preferably female figures to get the message across. The female figure became an allegory of the nation.

E.g. under French Revolution, Justice is generally a blindfolded woman carrying a pair of weighing scales. Later in France Marianne emerged as the representation of France. Her features were also drwan from the symbol of liberty and the republic. She wore a red cap , the tricolour and the tricolour.