USA/UK‚ Contemporary
Created by the UK’s most famous anonymous street artist Banksy, Girl with Umbrella speaks of the bleak realities of a post- Hurricane Katrina New Orleans.
Cloelia the Hostage
Although the details widely differ in the several versions of Cloelia’s legend, the core narrative about this heroic girl remains consistent. In the 6th c. BCE, Cloelia was part of a group of hostages given by Rome to the Etruscan king Lars Porsena. The group of ten young noblemen and ten maidens was intended to secure a peace treaty. Girls and women throughout history have been used as collateral to secure political and social alliances.
Little Virgin Mary
According to Christian theology, Mary was visited by the Archangel Gabriel, who told her that she was pregnant with the son of God. Mary was only fourteen at the time and recently betrothed to Joseph. They continued with their marriage and, while pregnant, relocated to Bethlehem — where Jesus was born.
Blinded by the Light Lucy
During a trip to the tomb of Saint Agatha, Lucy saw a vision of St. Agatha and her mother’s longstanding illness was miraculously cured. Her mother converted to Christianity and agreed to end her marriage, but Lucy’s bridegroom was displeased. He denounced her to the Roman governor as a Christian, at a time when being a Christian which was a crime punishable by death. When Lucy refused to become a Pagan, she was sentenced to forced prostitution and, later, to death.