Danaë en Perseus worden in een boot gezet

Battista Angolo del Moro created this print titled 'Danaë en Perseus worden in een boot gezet' sometime between 1515 and 1573. In it, we see Danaë and her son Perseus being cast out to sea. Del Moro was working within a very specific cultural and political milieu in Italy. Understanding the patriarchy is key when looking at this image. Here, we see a vulnerable woman, punished for being impregnated by Zeus. It’s a depiction of female passivity that has been historically rewarded. The artist doesn't fully challenge the tradition, but he does humanize Danaë. Look at the emotions portrayed on her face. It feels like he’s asking us to consider the human cost of these patriarchal systems. The sea can be seen as both a boundary and a bridge, the boat, a vessel for isolation, but also for the unknown. The print invites us to reflect on what it means to be exiled, whether it is a physical banishment, or the emotional and social exclusion that persists today.