Abstract

This thesis examines the representation of nuns from the Fin-de-Siècle into the 1930s, in the popular medium of postcards, in art during the Modernist period, and throughout the early development of film. The thesis demonstrates how secularisation, rapid technological development, and political discourse during the selected era impacted the image of the nun. The images selected will be reviewed in the light of Christian iconography, highlighting how the nun is represented and understood as a cultural construct, rather than the reality of the nun. Imagery of nuns from this era seems to fall into two categories of idealisation and/or profanation and images collected for this thesis are analysed in relation to these. Themes appear which suggest authorial intentions to be either nostalgic, political or crude within both the categories of idealisation and/or profanation. Some depictions express admiration towards the nun, treating her as sacred, whilst others focus on sexualisation or acts of violence. Within both categories, ideals of youth and beauty are common themes. There is little academic acknowledgement of how nuns are portrayed during the selected era, despite the new media landscape that arose; instead, academic focus has been on post-World War II representations of the nun because of changes caused by the Second Vatican Council and Second-wave Feminism.Chapter One focuses on postcards and highlights how most postcard series follow traditional imagery in the portrayal of nuns, but also acknowledges the few that follow the secular styles of French erotic postcards. Chapter Two looks at the portrayal of nuns in art, addressing the move away from traditional art practices in favour of modernism styles and how the artists’ personal experiences impacted how nuns were represented. Chapter Three addresses nun characters in film, a durational art form that allows the viewer to witness the character development of a nun within a narrative and form an emotional response. Additionally, film dramatizes the nun character for the enjoyment of an audience, exaggerating and often glamourising her appearance, vows and role.

Keywords

Nun, Catholic, Women religious, Postcard, Film, Art, fin-de-siecle, modernism, modernity, painting, print, World War I, Sister of Charity, Profane, Habit, Religion, Nurse, Mother Superior, Catholicism

Document Type

Thesis

Publication Date

2025

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