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RANNA® & HYPATIA In 1983, almost 30 years before the important new feature film about Hypatia's life (Agora, 2010), Hypatia, was the subject of a suite of paintings by Ranna ®. Hypatia, the legendary woman scholar and teacher lived during the late 4th century A.D. in Alexandria in Egypt, when it was part of the Roman empire. Her prowess as a teacher, preacher, and scientist was viewed with suspicion by Christian leaders who preached against her. She was ultimately attacked and killed by a mob of fanatical Christian monks. She was pulled from her chariot, assaulted, murdered, her body torn limb from limb, her body parts strewn in the streets and some burned. During the sack of the library of Alexandria, most of Hypatia's writings and work were destroyed

Study #1 for Hypatia (working title "Portrait of a Victim"), painting by Ranna®, acrylic on canvas, 42" x 36", © 1983.   Hypatia by Ranna ®, acrylic on wood, 72" x 48", © 1983. Study #2 for Hypatia, (working title "Portrait of a Victim"), painting by Ranna®, acrylic on canvas, 42" x 36", © 1983. At just 30 years old, Ranna was riveted by Hypatia, by her achievements, her passionately ferocious intellect, her scholastic and spiritual boldness, her unwavering political courage, and her gruesome demise as a result of those traits and achievements. These paintings were Ranna's homage to Hypatia... and an unattenuated portrayal of the impact of Hypatia's obliteration by the male Christian impulse of Hypatia's time. Ranna's major Hypatia work was acquired by a private collector. This photo of the artist with her painting was taken in 1983 at the collector's home in Townsville, Queensland, Australia, shortly after the painting had been installed. Ranna's painting of Hypatia is now in New Zealand where the collector now resides, and where Maori women reportedly love the painting because they identify with it (J. L-Holly pers. comm. 1988).