Buste van Agrippina de Jongere

Hubert Quellinus made this print of Agrippina the Younger. Quellinus, who lived in seventeenth century Antwerp, was part of the generation that followed Peter Paul Rubens. His social context was one in which the cultural elite sought to emulate the glories of the ancient world. Here, Agrippina is depicted as a bust, a form traditionally reserved for powerful men, with a determined gaze that conveys authority. Yet, this representation also invokes an awareness of Agrippina's gender, set against the backdrop of the male-dominated history she navigated. Though she was a powerful figure in the Roman Empire, she has been historically portrayed as manipulative. Quellinus’ image invites us to contemplate the complexities of a woman who challenged the constraints of her time, and the consequences of wielding power in a patriarchal world.