Is Lady Liberty truly free?

During the Neoclassical period, which stretched from the late 18th century to the early 19th century, many now-predominant allegorical female figures emerged in civic contexts. An allegory, in this context, is a visual representation of a moral or political concept. Several of these female figures are visually indistinguishable, like Marianne, Britannia, and Liberty, the national personifications of France, Great Britain, and the USA. Artists depicted these figures as beautiful women with long, wavy hair dressed in ancient Greek or Roman-style clothing. They represent concepts, such as freedom and justice, that society is expected to both strive for and protect. Choosing to portray these positive moral ideals with a female body is deliberate. Women have always been under constant pressure to remain innocent, pure, and conquerable. These female figures are devoid of explicit sexuality, but are nonetheless objects of desire. By representing the concept of liberty with a woman, the artist forces the viewer to admire and covet her body when they aspire to her values. Additionally, depicting these figures as traditionally attractive, the societal association between physical beauty and moral goodness is perpetuated. When the state uses these female figures in civic contexts, like on currency, it conditions citizens to associate the state with this woman, conflating loyalty to their country with beauty and physical attraction.

Beyond explicit national personifications, allegorical female figures are employed in various other political contexts. For instance, during wartime, artists use figures like Liberty to convince the public of their side’s righteousness. During WWI, lots of propaganda produced by The Allies (France, the UK, the USA, etc.) featured the “hometown sweetheart” character. Artists never name the girl to allow viewers to project their personal relationships and emotions about separation from loved ones onto her. In a way, she is just another face of Lady Liberty. They both represent freedom in the homeland, just in different ways. 

By using a female figure, rather than a male one, the institution it represents comes across as more vulnerable and blameless because women are typically seen as more sympathetic victims. For instance, in the piece on display here,  “Australia Screams,” Australian discontent with American troops stationed in Australia during WWII is represented by a cartoon of an American soldier sexually assaulting an Australian woman. When an organization is threatened, female symbols are utilized even more often in order to inspire sympathy in the public. Think about how often political cartoons feature Lady Liberty under attack.

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Bank of England £1 Note
British, 1960-1978
Paper Bill
Kenyon College, Blick-Harris Study Collection, 2020.454.40

A British bill featuring their national personification, Britannia.

Monneron Frères Négociants à Paris
French, 1792
Bronze medallion
1.5 x 1.5 in.
Kenyon College, Blick-Harris Study Collection, 2015.160.6

A medallion commemorating The Fête de la Fédération on the 14th July 1790, a celebration of the French Revolution, and the Paris Negotiations of 1792, which abolished the monarchy. On one side, soldiers salute a personification of the new Republic who is seated holding a scroll with a shield by her hip. This figure is an early example of the French symbol Marianne, the national personification of the French Republic.

W. Mayer (German)
Medal Commemorating the 400th Anniversary of the Discovery of America, 1892
Bronze medal
3.5 × 3.5  in.
Kenyon College, Blick-Harris Study Collection, 2015.159.1

This medal commemorating the anniversary of the “discovery” of America features a now-rare depiction of Columbia. The namesake of institutions like Columbia Pictures, Columbia University, and others, Columbia was once the national personification of the USA. In the early-mid 20th century, she was almost completely replaced by Liberty. The two figures are similar, but Columbia was used to represent the New World even prior to the American Revolution while Liberty only emerged after American independence. Additionally, their appearances differ slightly as Columbia is often depicted with auburn hair rather than brown and her classical robe is usually printed with the American flag.

Bank of Greece 50 Drachmai Note
Greek, 1964
Paper bill
Kenyon College, Blick-Harris Study Collection, 2020.454.38

This bill doesn’t feature Marianne, Liberty, or any other civic allegory. Instead, it’s a depiction of the mythological nymph Arethusa. The reason she looks so similar to the other figures is because they were created during the Neoclassical art period when Western art drew heavily upon antiquity, especially Greek and Roman mythology.

Another depiction of Columbia, this one was produced in WWI to inspire donations for the American cause. Columbia herself is shown imploring a man for money while pointing at the troops. While other civic allegories are meant to inspire devotion and action, Columbia in this illustration is directly asking for the people to support their country financially.

Henri Dubois (French, 1863-1930)
French Republic Award from the Ministry of War Gymnastics Competition, 1893
Bronze medal
1.75 × 1.75  in.
Kenyon College, Blick-Harris Study Collection, 2015.159.3

Over one hundred and twenty years after she was first adopted as the symbol of France, Marianne continued to be used for civic purposes like this gymnastics medal commissioned by the French Ministry of War.

Provisional Government of Mexico 1 Peso Note
Mexican, 1914
Paper bill
Kenyon College, Blick-Harris Study Collection, 2020.454.37

Less than one hundred years after Mexican independence, a figure visually similar to Liberty appears on this 1 Peso note. Differing from the other depiction of Liberty in this display, she has dark curly hair and tan skin, reflecting the country for which she was created.

John Archibald Woodside (American, 1781–1852)
We Owe Allegiance to No Crown, 1814
Print
8 × 10  in.
Kenyon College, Blick-Harris Study Collection, 2015.552

This is a print of an oil painting originally created as an allegorical depiction of the USA’s victory against Britain in the war of 1812. In the print, Woodside painted Liberty crowning an American soldier with a laurel wreath, communicating that the US was the rightful, moral victor in the conflict.

This piece of sheet music, created during WWI, shows an American mother presenting her son to the world. Instead of representing a universal ideology or ideal (like Liberty), this woman represents a group of people: American mothers. The function, however, is the same. The female body represents ideas and communicates messages to the public. While the beautiful Liberty inspires desire of both her form and her mission, the American mother is an archetype to be protected and loved.

Tyroler József (Hungarian, 1822-1854)
Woman with Phrygian Cap, Shield and Fasces, 1850
Engraving
7.3 × 5.1  in.
Kenyon College, Blick-Harris Study Collection, 2015.2

An image featuring a personification of Peace originally created for Hungarian banknotes, this edition is a later reproduction issued by the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing.

Australia Screams
Japanese, 1940s
Print
5 × 7  in.
Kenyon College, Blick-Harris Study Collection, 2015.566

This piece of propaganda art was dropped in Australia via plane during WWII. At this time, Australian troops were stationed around the Pacific while American troops were stationed on the Australian mainland. This print was presumably produced by Japan to turn Australians against the USA. It depicts an American soldier assaulting an Australian woman while an Australian soldier watches helplessly from a neighboring island. The caption, “Australia Screams,” suggests that the woman is not just a woman, but Australia itself being assaulted by the USA. Once again, the female body is really a symbol of some greater institution that needs the public’s protection and loyalty.

Alphée Dubois (French, 1831-1905)
French Proclamation of the Republic Coin, 1870
Bronze commemorative coin
3.25 × 3.25  in.
Kenyon College, Blick-Harris Study Collection, 2015.153

A bronze coin made to commemorate the proclamation of the third French Republic. Unusually, it depicts both Marianne, seated on the left, and Liberty, standing on the right. This composition suggests Liberty’s approval of the French state and their unity in ushering in a new era for France.

E.E. Walton (American, 1871-1954)
Good Bye Alexander, Good Bye Honey Boy, 1918
Sheet music
13.5 × 10.5  in.
Kenyon College, Blick-Harris Study Collection, 2022.65

Similar to the other piece of sheet music in this display, this illustration was created during WWI. Instead of depicting the archetypical American mother, this one features the archetypical American sweetheart. In both cases, the women are stripped of identity and are reduced only to their function as an object of affection meant to inspire American men to fight for them. In this case, the woman’s face is in shadow, allowing the viewer to project their own sweetheart onto her.

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About the Curator: Audrey Howard ’25 is an Art History major from Cincinnati, Ohio.