Eve and Mary represented two different types of women within medieval society. Their images were used by church men to perpetuate a framework that applauded obedient women while aiming to deter women who stood in opposition of their male counterparts. Such desires of the church materialized in images like The Madonna of Humility with the Temptation of Eve which blatantly puts the two women in stark opposition with one another. Eve, illustrated in a seductive manner, represented the disobedient woman. In this instance disobedience is synonymous with controlling or having a position of power over their male counterparts. She contrasts with Mary who took on a pious role within the church and is often displayed fully covered from head to toe. Her prominence comes from her close relationship with Jesus and not through her own power, thus she plays a subservient role as the carrier and supporter of Jesus. On the other hand, Eve plays a direct role in the fall of mankind. Her images portray her as a temptress easily swindled by the enemy, thereby becoming a symbol of the enemy herself. Her disobedience to God, who is often depicted as a man, parallels women’s disobedience to the male figures in their lives. Given this logic, women who go against or challenge male authority are essentially like Eve, and they fit into the bad woman motif.

To validate the authority of the church and understand the role women played in society, this paper will analyze historical information such as the Albigensian Crusades and courtly love literature. The events that unfolded due to the direct involvement of the church, like the Albigensian Crusades and the decline of courtly literature thereafter, reaffirms the assertion that the church had the power to utilize art to insidiously control the behavior of women in their communities.