Woman pictured on Converge 'Jane Doe' album cover reveals herself (updated)

If you're unfamiliar with the cover artwork of Converge's landmark album Jane Doe, you're likely new to the hardcore and metalcore scene. To summarize, the highly regarded album was released in 2001, and its iconic artwork, created by Converge frontman Jacob Bannon, remains one of the most recognizable album covers to exist in the underground metal world. Myriad posters, prints, tattoos, knock-offs, etc. bearing the intriguing visage of the anonymous woman ("Jane Doe") have permeated the scene for two decades.

Part of the intrigue was not knowing the identity of this woman, not only her figurative identity, but the actual, human muse for Bannon's creation, if she even ever existed.

Over the years, Bannon has been very vague when describing the anonymous woman, intimating that she was not based upon any actual model. In 2013, Bannon said, "I sketched the basic cover and started building it in layers, using acrylic, ink, and spray paint."

For better or for worse, however, the mystery now appears to have been solved, and by none other than "Jane Doe" herself. Several days ago 40-year-old French actress and model Audrey Marnay took to Instagram (see below), ostensibly introducing herself to Converge as "Jane Doe," and asking, "Shall we talk!?"

Marnay also shared the original photo from which she asserts Jane Doe was derived, specifically a photo of Marnay that appeared in a May 2001 issue of Mary Claire Italy magazine. It would be extremely difficult to deny that said photo is indeed the basis for "Jane Doe," from the matching lips, nose and facial structure, to the identical coif.

Case closed. (For the record, Converge have yet to comment on the development.)

UPDATE: Converge vocalist and cover artist Jacob Bannon has now responded to the revelation, issuing the following statement:

"Just to be clear: This is definitely one of the sources for the original stencil/mixed media piece for the 'Jane Doe' album. Most of my work always been collaged cut/paste based (and still is). Hundreds of images were xeroxed and repainted/inked in a loose style to create the release artwork. This process is similar to everyone from Shepard Fairey to Francis Bacon. Over time my work has evolved into something more much more refined, but the roots will always be in this style. I wonder if folks will still insist that it is actually from the cover of Slayer's 'Reign In Blood'?

"The original goal was to create ghost-like forms that embodied the concept of 'Jane Doe'. In recreation identifiers are removed from physical forms, making all humans become relatable and stoic. We see what we want to see in them, and often times, it's a reflection back onto our own life experiences, etc."

[via Metal Injection]