Sheldon Museum of Art Main Content

Exhibition

Beyond Eve and Mary: Premodern Representations of Gender, Power, and Religion

January 27, 2023 through May 26, 2023
  • Albrecht Dürer, The Fall of Man, from The Small Passion.
  • Albrecht Dürer, Hroswitha of Gandersheim Presenting Her Comedies to Emperor Otto I (from Opera Hrosvite).
  • Michael Wolgemut, Jephthah's Daughter Meeting Him On His Return, page from Schatzbehalter der wahren Reichtümer des Heils [Treasury of the True Riches of Salvation].
  • Hans Baldung Grien, The Virgin on the Grassy Bank.

Charlotte and Charles Rain Gallery, first floor


Two biblical figures—Eve, the seductress responsible for the taint of original sin, and Mary, the pure virgin mother of Christ—have shaped polarized images of women in Western religion, politics, and the arts. This exhibition examines Eve and Mary through thematic groupings of works and encourages viewers to consider how multifaceted gender was in the premodern period.

This exhibition is organized by Carole Levin, Willa Cather Professor Emerita of history, and Patricia A. Simpson, professor of German.