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The Haemorrhaging Woman (Mark 5:24-34par). An iconological research into the meaning of the bleeding woman in medieval art (1th-15th century). Also a contribution to the blood- and touching taboo before the era of modernity.
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This interdisciplinary project contributes to a lacuna in the representation and perception of the biblical female in western medieval art history: namely the haemorrhaging woman (Mark 5:34-34par).The project consists in four levels of methodological approaches.
1. Text and image transposition: Iconographical tradition and interpretation
The first level of this project is focused on the iconographical approach or the visual tradition.
2. Historical-critical exegesis (supplier) and visual culture
In exegesis the passage is interpreted as Marks’ wish to present the haemorrhaging woman as an example of a bulwark of faith, superior to all other women. The fact that this healing by deep faith concerns a bloodshed – a taboo concerning Levitical law - made this passage an important locus in gender research and the anthropology of the ‘other’ (the menstruant, the outcast of society)
3. Gender and blood
It is clear that the Haemorrhoïssa thematizes the female menstrual cycle. This project clarifies the different fields where the Haemorrhoïssa plays a role in the gendered perceptions of female bleeding. These fields are textual, contextual and visual.
4. Anthropology of imagery and Bild-Anthropologie. Borderlines
On the level of text interpretation this story underlines the borders (and the passing of borders) concerning touching. The woman touches even the symbolic border par excellence: the hem.
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Project number:
3H080212
Duration of the project:
01.10.2008 - 30.09.2012
www.iconologyresearchgroup.org
Funded research
Nederlands
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