Les filles d'Eve in word and image

The motif of the "daughter of Eve" - or fille d'Eve - became a charged symbol in nineteenth-century France. In one sense all women were considered to be metaphorical "daughters of Eve." The biblical subtext is found in contemporary writing devoted to the relationship between the sexes, even though the authors did not necessarily intend to literally refer to the Bible or consciously interpret its messages. Nevertheless, critical facets of the story of Creation were questioned. Was Eve destined to sin or did she sin by choice? Was she a femme fatale because she succumbed to destiny or because she brought about the downfall of mankind? Did Eve have a greater responsibility than Adam or the serpent? These persistent questions informed French literature and imagery of the nineteenth century, and they applied to contemporary women by proxy as daughters of Eve. Artists working for illustrated periodicals embraced Eve's ambiguity, focusing most frequently on her curiosity, weakness, and sin. This essay compares literary and visual culture depictions of the nineteenth-century fille d'Eve created by both feminists and anti-feminists against the backdrop of the women's rights movement in France.