Zelfmoord van een koningin by Bernard Picart

Zelfmoord van een koningin

1715

Bernard Picart's Profile Picture

Bernard Picart

1673 - 1733

Location

Rijksmuseum
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Artwork details

Medium
print, engraving
Dimensions
height 55 mm, width 111 mm
Location
Rijksmuseum
Copyright
Rijks Museum: Open Domain

Tags

#portrait#baroque#pen drawing#print#old engraving style#history-painting#engraving

About this artwork

This print, made by Bernard Picart, depicts a queen's suicide within an elaborate frame. The queen pierces her throat with a dagger, a stark symbol of defiance and despair. This act echoes through history, resonating with the suicides of heroines like Lucretia and Cleopatra, who chose death over dishonor. Notice how the dagger, a phallic symbol, can be seen as a final act of asserting control in a patriarchal society. This motif transcends cultures, appearing in ancient Roman tragedies and Renaissance paintings alike. The image engages us on a subconscious level, tapping into our collective memory of tragic heroines. It is a potent reminder of the cyclical nature of history, where symbols of power, despair, and resistance are continually reshaped and reinterpreted. The queen's self-inflicted death is not merely an end but a powerful statement resonating across time.

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