Iconography and Gender in Revolution: A Comparative Analysis of the French and
Russian Revolutions
Introduction
Revolutions are not merely political events; they are also symbolic moments that
reimagine societies and identities. Among the most powerful revolutions in modern
history—the French Revolution (1789) and the Russian Revolution (1917)—both sought
to radically reshape society. Yet, the visual representations and treatment of women
during these revolutions reflect a deep paradox: while calling for liberty and equality,
both movements often reinforced existing gender hierarchies. This essay compares the
iconography of these revolutions, focusing on how women were portrayed and what this
reveals about evolving gender relations.
I. Women and Iconography in the French Revolution
The French Revolution marked the emergence of mass political imagery—prints,
engravings, and paintings became critical tools in disseminating revolutionary ideals. As
Monica Juneja notes, visual imagery during this period was not merely decorative but
formed a key part of political culture, aiding the creation of the new body politic and
shaping public memory of revolution (Juneja, p. 2).
Despite women’s active roles—marching to Versailles, participating in market protests,
and forming political clubs—their representations in revolutionary iconography were
largely symbolic rather than realistic. Female allegories such as Marianne—the
personification of Liberty or the Republic—became central motifs. These images
portrayed women as embodiments of abstract ideals like virtue, reason, and regeneration,
but not as political agents in their own right (Juneja, p. 6). This disjunction between real
women’s participation and their symbolic representation reflects the Revolution's
contradictions: while proclaiming universal rights, it excluded women from citizenship
and governance.
The feminine became a metonym for the ancien régime—associated with aristocratic
decadence and disorder. Rococo styles, characterized by sensuality and ornamentation,
were increasingly feminized and rejected in favor of a neoclassical aesthetic that
emphasized masculine rationality and clarity (Juneja, p. 7). Women’s visibility in cultural
spaces like salons, which had once been hubs of Enlightenment discussion, was now
viewed with suspicion and seen as complicit in the ancien régime’s corruption.
Moreover, revolutionary allegory leaned heavily on female figures not to grant them
political power, but to symbolize ideals that men would carry forward. As Juneja
observes, these images often naturalized male dominance by assigning women roles as
symbols rather than subjects of change (Juneja, p. 11). Thus, revolutionary iconography
simultaneously used and erased women—making them visible as allegory, but invisible
as citizens.
II. Women in the Russian Revolution: From Visibility to Marginalization
In contrast, the Russian Revolution featured real, working women in state propaganda
and imagery, especially during the early Bolshevik years. As Bernice Glatzer Rosenthal
outlines, gender equality was a central tenet of early Bolshevik ideology, and the initial
post-revolutionary period saw unprecedented legal reforms: civil marriage, divorce, equal
pay, maternity benefits, and the legalization of abortion (Rosenthal, pp. 377–378). These
policies were reflected in visual culture that celebrated the "new Soviet woman"—a
worker, mother, and comrade in the revolutionary struggle.
Unlike the French allegorical tradition, Russian revolutionary iconography frequently
portrayed real women engaging in labor and education, participating in mass
mobilizations, or supporting industrialization. Images such as a forewoman teaching a
young girl to use a vise at the Gorki Auto Works emphasized women's active
contribution to the socialist project (Rosenthal, p. 370). Here, the emphasis was on
productive labor and collective participation, aligned with the broader Marxist rejection
of the bourgeois family structure.
However, this early visibility gave way to marginalization, particularly during Stalin's
rule. The needs of the state—industrialization, demographic growth, and military
readiness—began to outweigh feminist goals. As Rosenthal writes, women remained
economically active but lacked control over their working conditions and remained
confined by dual burdens—as workers and as caregivers (Rosenthal, p. 370).
Even in visual culture, the image of the robust Soviet woman—originally a symbol of
emancipation—was repurposed to serve pronatalist policies and patriotic narratives. The
revolutionary dream of gender equality was subordinated to the priorities of the
Communist Party, which viewed women less as autonomous subjects and more as
instruments of state goals.
III. Comparative Reflections: Allegory vs. Realism, Symbol vs. Subject
The contrast between French and Russian revolutionary iconography reveals different
strategies for representing women—and differing implications for gender relations.
In France, women were largely allegorized. The female figure stood for abstract ideals—
Liberty, Reason, the Republic—but not for political agency. These representations
functioned within a symbolic economy that privileged masculine rationality and
systematically excluded women from political participation. As Juneja notes, the
Enlightenment's ideal of universality was male by default; femininity was relegated to the
realm of artifice, vanity, and emotionality (Juneja, pp. 7–8).
By contrast, the Russian Revolution initially portrayed women as real and engaged
political actors—workers, soldiers, and mothers of the revolution. Yet, this realism was
not sustained. The state’s utilitarian approach to gender equality meant that women’s
liberation was always contingent upon economic and political priorities. Visual
representations shifted accordingly: from revolutionary heroism to maternal sacrifice and
domestic responsibility.
Both revolutions thus exposed the limits of emancipatory politics without a sustained
feminist program. As Rosenthal poignantly observes, political transformation alone was
insufficient to liberate women (Rosenthal, p. 370). Revolutionary regimes reimagined
society, but in ways that often reinscribed traditional gender hierarchies under new
guises.
Conclusion
In sum, the iconography of the French and Russian Revolutions offers a revealing lens
into the gendered dynamics of political upheaval. In France, women were made symbols
of liberty but denied its substance. In Russia, they were briefly treated as comrades before
being sidelined by the state’s utilitarianism. While the styles, contexts, and political
ideologies differed, both revolutions ultimately fell short of reimagining gender relations
in transformative ways. Their visual cultures, rich with symbolic power, remain
testimonies not only to the aspirations of revolution—but also to its exclusions.
References
Juneja, Monica. "Imaging the Revolution: Gender and Iconography in French Political
Prints." University of Delhi, Department of History.
Rosenthal, Bernice Glatzer. "Women in the Russian Revolution and After." In *Love on
the Docket: Women in the Russian Revolution and After*, pp. 370–379.
