De twee rechter kariatiden uit de Vierschaar van het Stadhuis op de Dam 1655 - 1665

Hubert Quellinus created this print, "The two right caryatids from the Vierschaar of the Town Hall on the Dam," which is now held at the Rijksmuseum. During the Dutch Golden Age, the demand for art that reflected the era’s values of prosperity and civic pride was growing. Here, Quellinus presents us with two caryatids, architectural supports sculpted as female figures. Yet these are not just any women; they bear the weight of civic responsibility, literally holding up the metaphorical roof of governance. One figure is hunched, hiding her face in her hands, while the other stands with her head bowed. We can wonder, do these figures represent the burdens and the emotional toll of civic duty? Do they speak to the often-unseen labor of women in society, their contributions acknowledged yet rarely celebrated? Quellinus asks us to consider the complex interplay between duty, gender, and representation in the public sphere. The emotional vulnerability of these figures invites a personal reflection on the weight we all carry, both seen and unseen.