French stamp with activist's likeness leads to boycott calls
Source: Agencies |
July 17, 2013, Wednesday
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Print Edition
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THE new face of France - or at least the official postage stamp for the President Francois Hollande era - is modeled after a Ukrainian woman who takes her top off to defend feminist causes.
Not everyone thinks that's appropriate, and some are calling for a boycott.
Hollande on Sunday unveiled the new stamp, meant to represent Marianne, a symbol of France since the revolution and French youth. Afterward, artist Olivier Ciappa said the image was modeled largely after Inna Shevchenko, an activist with the group Femen who received political asylum in France.
Hollande's office would not comment on whether the president, a Socialist who has pushed for more women's rights, knew about the Femen inspiration.
Ciappa described his choice as an homage to the idea of Marianne, who is meant to symbolize liberty and reason and is sometimes depicted topless.
"Marianne, the symbol of France, was a revolutionary woman. When you look at the Delacroix paintings a few centuries ago, she was bare-breasted," he said
"She was fighting for equality, and she was fighting for friendship, which are the values of France. And all of them are the values of Femen. In a way, Marianne was the first Femen."
Shevchenko herself expressed pride in being "the new icon of the modern interpretation of Marianne."
"I am proud that France is still following the tradition of representing, of showing its national symbol as a woman that is fighting," she said.
The conservative Christian Democrat Party is calling for a boycott of the stamp.
On its website and on Twitter, the party said that the postal service should withdraw the stamp, saying it "insults the dignity of women, the sovereignty of France."
Not everyone thinks that's appropriate, and some are calling for a boycott.
Hollande on Sunday unveiled the new stamp, meant to represent Marianne, a symbol of France since the revolution and French youth. Afterward, artist Olivier Ciappa said the image was modeled largely after Inna Shevchenko, an activist with the group Femen who received political asylum in France.
Hollande's office would not comment on whether the president, a Socialist who has pushed for more women's rights, knew about the Femen inspiration.
Ciappa described his choice as an homage to the idea of Marianne, who is meant to symbolize liberty and reason and is sometimes depicted topless.
"Marianne, the symbol of France, was a revolutionary woman. When you look at the Delacroix paintings a few centuries ago, she was bare-breasted," he said
"She was fighting for equality, and she was fighting for friendship, which are the values of France. And all of them are the values of Femen. In a way, Marianne was the first Femen."
Shevchenko herself expressed pride in being "the new icon of the modern interpretation of Marianne."
"I am proud that France is still following the tradition of representing, of showing its national symbol as a woman that is fighting," she said.
The conservative Christian Democrat Party is calling for a boycott of the stamp.
On its website and on Twitter, the party said that the postal service should withdraw the stamp, saying it "insults the dignity of women, the sovereignty of France."
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