Apolline Gay

Please tell us about your research project.
I am a PhD student at the École Pratique des Hautes Études and the Université Libre de Bruxelles, under the joint supervision of Ioanna Rapti (EPHE) and Alain Delattre (ULB). I have undertaken my thesis in 2022 with a scholarship of the French ministry of Higher Education and Research in partnership with the Institut français d’archéologie orientale. My research focuses on the depiction of the Bible’s female characters in Byzantine Egypt and on their reception in Egyptian society in the light of contemporary literary and documentary texts, and through works of art in various media: wall paintings, sculptures, textiles, jewellery. The aim is to outline the Byzantine-Egyptian visual culture through the analysis of the functions of these images in the construction of the social role of women, especially within the biological or monastic family. This topic tackles several questions of art history, social history, and gender studies.

Could you please tell us a bit more about your scholarship/exchange programme?
I was awarded a three-month scholarship thanks to the partnership between the MFO and Paris Sciences Lettres. This research residency allows me to study some essential archaeological items for my research, in Oxford, especially at the Ashmolean Museum, and at the British Museum in London. It is an essential step to complete the corpus of my thesis, especially for textiles and jewellery. It is also an opportunity to enhance my experience in gender studies applied to other files of social sciences, thanks to the numerous conferences and resources provided by the university and the libraries. Finally, Oxford is an important place for Byzantine studies. My stay is an opportunity to discover new approaches in this field.

First impressions of Oxford/the University?
It's really fascinating to see how the city is optimised for research! It's easy to access all the resources you need. I'm also impressed by the intense activity at the university and by the initiatives of students and young researchers to create new spaces for thinking and sharing ideas, alongside the more institutional conferences.