Cloelia steekt de Tiber over 1608

Niccolò Vicentino made this chiaroscuro woodcut, Cloelia steekt de Tiber over, sometime between 1510 and 1550. Woodcuts like this one were popular as affordable ways of disseminating stories from the classical world. Here, we see a scene depicting Cloelia, a Roman woman who was held hostage by Lars Porsena, an Etruscan king. She escaped, leading a group of Roman virgins across the Tiber River to safety. The story of Cloelia was often told to emphasize Roman courage, and the virtue and bravery of its women. Consider the gendered dynamics at play. Cloelia embodies ideals of female virtue, yet her actions are framed within the context of service to the Roman state. What does it mean for a woman’s worth to be so closely tied to her nation’s interests? How does this narrative serve to both empower and constrain women? The print is not just an image, it's a cultural artifact that opens a window onto the complex negotiations of identity, gender, and power in Renaissance society.