Sabijnse maagdenroof 1572 - 1573

Giovanni Battista Fontana created this print of ‘The Rape of the Sabine Women’ in the late 16th century. It depicts a foundational myth for ancient Rome, where Romulus, short on women, invited the neighboring Sabine tribe to a festival and then had his men abduct their women. Fontana’s work is more than a historical depiction; it’s a lens through which we can view the era’s complex attitudes toward gender, power, and national identity. Look at the physical struggle represented here. The Sabine women are caught between their past lives and an imposed future, embodying the violence inherent in the establishment of patriarchal structures. Fontana doesn't shy away from the chaos and terror of the event, and this unflinching representation invites us to consider how societies are built on acts of violence and coercion, especially against women. What does it mean when a nation's origin story includes the violent abduction of women? This print urges us to confront uncomfortable truths about the foundations of power and to question the narratives we inherit.