Floris V en Agnes van der Sluis, ca. 1270-1280 1850

Karel Frederik Bombled created this print of Floris V en Agnes van der Sluis around 1870-1880. It portrays a dramatic, imagined encounter in the woods. Bombled, working in the 19th century, was interested in depicting Dutch history, but his vision was inevitably shaped by the social norms of his time. The print idealizes a chivalrous, masculine figure in Floris V, who is depicted kneeling to kiss the hand of Agnes. But think about what this gesture really means. It's a powerful visual symbol of courtly love, where gender roles were often performed and reinforced. Bombled’s image perpetuates a romantic vision of gender relations. The figures are extracted from the historical record and thrust into a narrative where power dynamics are softened by romantic gestures. What stories might remain untold? What if artists would embrace the uncomfortable tensions and let the narratives be complex and unromantic?