Gustave Dore's Interpretation of Deborah
The picture depicts Deborah as a leader with great authority. Her authority can be recognized because of the way she is positioned. She is in a room surrounded by men, and not one head is higher than hers, which is a common way power was depicted in paintings in the 19th century. The men are also looking up at her as she sings victory to God. Some of the men actually have their heads lowered and a little bit of fear can be seen in some of their faces. Their heads are lowered as if in submission.
The French artist, Gustave Dore, created this piece between 1865-1866. Dore had created many art pieces that illustrated Bible stories. Prior to Dore, works of art that showed the Bible were illustrated in a different way. Biblical figures were created to look more like caricatures than actual people. Certain figures were often portrayed with halos.¹ Art such as this was present for centuries. It was probably done to emphasize the characters' significance and holiness. During this time period there was a rise of religious enlightenment, and more people were starting to interpret the bible in different ways, and not so much of the strict way that was particularly common with Catholicism. Dore changed the look of biblical figures in art, making his creations of biblical characters go along with the times and was very new and different.² Unlike his predecessors, Dore's interpretation of people from the bible were very realistic, in which his art was met with criticism. This realism can easily be seen in his depiction of Deborah.
Although Deborah was not drawn with a halo, there is a light hitting her which seemed to be more of Dore's way of showing her significance and how she was the center of attention. Dore's picture like what was said earlier definitely highlights her position of authority. Also during the 19th century when artists depicted Deborah they tended to have her in clothing that was from their time period. However that is not the case with Dore, where in his picture she is clothed in Middle Eastern dress. Dore was also known for romanticizing his artwork which can be seen in Deborah's clothing with the robes, the billowing headdress, and also her many jewels such as her necklaces, earrings and bracelet.³ By doing this he made her appear more exotic than how she had previously been shown. Deborah's left hand being placed on her heart shows her humility, and her right hand being pointed upward shows her reverence to God. Although women during Dore's time were expected to remain in the private sphere instead of the public, more women were asserting themselves and demanding women's suffrage, and no doubt some men agreed with this. Dore's depiction of Deborah shows that he is a man who had no issue with emphasizing her power or her importance.
1. "Bible Illustrations by Gustave Dore." www.creationism.org/images/DoreBibleIllus.
2. Joy A. Shroeder. "Deborah's Daughters: Gender Politics and Biblical Interpretations." An Exotic Prophetess in 19th Century Art. https://books.google.com.
3. Joy A. Shroeder. "Deborah's Daughters."
