Troubled goddesses: civic allegories, caricature and politics in Chile during the 19th century

Summary

The presence of women in history is often shown not overtly, but in code or symbolic fashion. Research on 19th century Chilean caricature in the illustrated satirical press, has provided examples of civic allegories, one of the less evident forms of presenting the feminine figure in the past. The Republic, the Motherland, Liberty, the Law and Justice became institutional and valoric elements in Chilean politics! caricature and emblems of liberal thought in the struggle for the secularization of society. The personification and visual representation of the key political ideas, made them accessible to the people and created a budding republican folklore based on the feminine category.