Copyright
notice. |
Ranna®
& her Hypatia paintings
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.
Current
work is at www.ranna.com
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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).
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