Is France's "The Sower" Marianne?

[youpiao]

The first Marianne definitives, as they are generally considered, with a head shot, are the Dulacs, which first appeared in 1944. A French parcel post stamp (Scott Q27), in 1924, featured a vignette of the head of Marianne. However, in the April 2016 Linn's Stamp Monthly, in an article on France's Sower, author Larry Rosenblum states, "The Sower is Marianne in robes and Phrygian cap engaged in the peaceful activity of sowing seeds."

Furthermore, at the beginning of the article, Rosenblum talks about these 3 designs from 1900 which preceded The Sower


and states, "The woman who represents France on all these stamps is Marianne . . ."

Marianne, as the personification of the French republic, represents Liberty, Fraternity, and Equality, which is what the 3 stamps shown represent.

My question is, if one were to produce a video on the subject of the Marianne stamps of France, could these pre-Dulac stamps, The Sower and the three L-F-E stamps, properly be included as Mariannes, or would they more correctly be presented as forerunners of the Marianne stamps?

[youpiao]

Well, I guess I should have continued looking up my references before posting. There is a more recent article in LSM, from August 2020, in which the same author discusses the advent of Marianne stamps, and states, "Collectors and writers don’t agree if the woman on some or all of these stamps is Marianne. Officially, though, Marianne made her first appearance on definitive stamps for everyday use in 1944."

I also erred, in my previous post, in attributing the 1st Marianne of 1944 to Dulac. The Dulac design was preceded by the Fernez design, earlier in 1944.

[sforgca]

"Technically" a Marianne should be wearing the Stygian hat  Phrygian cap.  Without it she is more likely called "The Republic" like those designed by Muller and Cheffer. According to the French specialist J. Storch (l'Académie d 'Etudes Postales)

Edmund Dulac (1942-46) comes into the picture after Mouchon and Lhomme and used as model Lea, wife of Dulac’s friend Emile Rixens. Two others produce designs in the same period Fernez (1944) & Guidon (1945-55)
It is notable that Dulac primarily made designs for Great Britain as well as banknotes for France. He is best remembered as an artist & illustrator.

As for the original question --
Lhomme was asked to redesign the Mariannes (circa 1907) and a unique imprint of the dies can be found at the French Postal Museum showing all the issues noted in the first post.
This may then correctly represent the "Mariannes" to that date as noted by Rosenblum

[youpiao]

Thanks for that info. I'll assume you meant Phrygian cap, and not one worn while crossing the Styx.