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Citation: S/HE: An International Journal of Goddess Studies Volume 2 Number 2 (2023)
From Lilith to Mary Magdalene: The Divine Feminine in the Art of Lilian Broca
Mary Ann Beavis
Abstract This article interprets four works by the Canadian artist Lilian Broca as expressive of the divine feminine, with particular reference to the notion of the divine feminine/goddess as a metaphor for women’s empowerment. Each of these works is a series based on female figures in the biblical tradition: Lilith/Eve, Esther, Judith, and Mary Magdalene. Although not all of them overtly refer to the divine feminine, I interpret them on the premise that inherent in each of them is a surplus of meaning that comes to full expression in the Mary Magdalene series, where the Magdalene is explicitly construed by the artist as a “goddess in waiting” and “the sacred feminine in Christianity.”
Keywords Lilian Broca, Divine Feminine, Goddess, Biblical Art, Lilith, Esther, Judith, Mary Magdalene
Introduction The Canadian artist Lilian Broca has been producing artworks expressive of the divine feminine since the late 1990s. Her works have been exhibited in Canada, the U.S. and various European countries to critical acclaim.[1] These works are not simply individual paintings or drawings, but rather series based on biblical stories that illustrate the presence of the divine feminine/goddess in these ancient and well-known narratives. The works to be discussed here are A Song of Lilith (2000), Queen Esther Mosaics (2009), Judith (2015), and Mary Magdalene (2022).[2] The images of the…
[1] See Recognition and Awards – Lilian Broca, accessed March 31, 2023.
[2] All images printed in this article are used with the artist’s kind permission.
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