Uta von Ballenstedt

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Uta stands out as a generous patron of Naumburg Cathedral, earning her a beautifully crafted statue in the 13th century. Like the Bamberg Horseman, her individual depiction within a semicircle of twelve donor portraits is now widely regarded as a stunning example of Gothic art excellence. Since early in the 20th century, Uta's idealized image with its distinctive collar has been featured in numerous art history and travel guides, making her an enduring symbol of authentic German character and culture - often juxtaposed with the Naumburg statue of Margravine Regelinda as the quintessential "smiling Polish woman". Her portrait was co-opted by the Nazi regime as a counter-image to so-called "degenerate art"; it appeared as an "Aryan" role model in Fritz Hippler's film The Eternal Jew and as a SS cult icon in World War II propaganda. The statue possibly inspired the character of the Evil Queen in Disney's 1937 animated film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. When Umberto Eco was asked with which women from European art he would most like to spend an evening, he responded: "First choice, ahead of all others, is Uta von Naumburg."