Slag tussen de Romeinen en de Sabijnen 1515 - 1565

Editor: This is “Slag tussen de Romeinen en de Sabijnen,” or "Battle between the Romans and the Sabines," made between 1515 and 1565 by Giovanni Jacopo Caraglio. It's currently at the Rijksmuseum. What strikes me is the sheer chaos of the scene – so many figures packed into this print. What's your interpretation of it? Curator: It’s definitely chaotic, isn’t it? Think about the historical context. This piece depicts a foundational myth, the abduction of the Sabine women by Romulus's men, a story that's simultaneously about the founding of Rome and the legitimation of power through violence, specifically violence against women. What does that tension between "foundation" and "violence" suggest to you? Editor: I see what you mean. It's not just a historical record; it's grappling with the darker side of nation-building, that sense of appropriation and domination. But how do we interpret that today, viewing it from a feminist lens? Curator: Precisely. The act of abduction becomes a symbolic representation of dominance and the erasure of Sabine identity. What does it mean to monumentalize this event, to create art out of a foundational act of gendered violence? Doesn't it ask us to critically examine the narratives we inherit, the stories that shape our understanding of power and identity? Editor: It completely reframes how I see this. It’s not just a historical battle, but a starting point to investigate narratives of power and violence throughout history. Curator: Exactly. By viewing it through that lens, we begin to see the reproduction of similar power dynamics playing out even now. The role of art becomes to confront, rather than simply represent. Editor: So, it’s not just about what Caraglio created, but what that creation inspires in us now. Thank you. I never would have looked at this artwork in that way before.