ABSTRACT

The symbolism of laterality in images implies that the virtuous figure is represented on the right of the scene whereas the sinful character is depicted on the left. In portraits of male and female characters this has reflected and reinforced stereotypes and inequalities down the ages. Given these premises, we hypothesized that the prototypical representations of Adam and Eve, as a man and a woman conflated with notions of virtue and vice, would show a non-random arrangement. We tested this hypothesis, sampling artistic depictions of the Garden of Eden, from the twelth century to the present day in three separately-collected series of 100, 99, and 142 images respectively. Eve is depicted to Adam’s left significantly more often than chance (between 70% and 83%), particularly in pre-1600 artworks. We interpret this asymmetry as reflecting the perceived lesser status of women in relation to men, since the allegorical incipit of humankind. We also provide experimental evidence that this asymmetry, although pervasive, has not been internalized by modern viewers. Cognitive sciences account for this spatial asymmetry in terms of preference for figures placed within the left visual field of the observer, i.e., within the right space of the objective scene.

摘要

图像中偏侧性的象征意义意味着有德的人物出现在场景的右侧，而有罪的人物则被描绘在左侧。在男性和女性角色的肖像中，这反映并强化了千古以来的刻板印象和不平等。鉴于这些前提，我们假设亚当和夏娃的原型表示，作为一个男人和一个女人，与美德和邪恶的概念混为一谈，将显示出一种非随机安排。我们检验了这一假设，对伊甸园的艺术描绘进行了抽样，从 12 世纪至今，分别收集了三个分别包含 100、99 和 142 张图像的系列。夏娃被描绘在亚当左边的概率明显高于偶然概率（在 70% 到 83% 之间），尤其是在 1600 年前的艺术作品中。我们将这种不对称解释为反映了女性相对于男性的较低地位，自人类寓言开始以来。我们还提供了实验证据，证明这种不对称性虽然普遍存在，但并未被现代观众内化。认知科学根据对放置在观察者左视野内（即客观场景的右空间内）的图形的偏好来解释这种空间不对称性。