Meleager geeft Atalante de kop van het Calydonische everzwijn c. 1720 - 1792

Aert Schouman created this pen and wash drawing, titled "Meleager giving Atalanta the head of the Calydonian boar," in the eighteenth century. Schouman lived at a time when the Dutch Republic was waning as a major power, but the art world was flourishing. The drawing depicts a scene from Greek mythology, a popular subject at the time. Meleager, one of the heroes, presents the boar's head to Atalanta, a huntress and a rare female figure in these heroic narratives. Atalanta's presence challenges the traditional gender roles often seen in classical stories. The drawing provides an alternative narrative by highlighting a woman's role in a traditionally male-dominated activity. By focusing on this moment, Schouman invites us to consider the complexities of gender and power within these ancient tales, reflecting perhaps the shifting social dynamics of his own time.