Sarah 1595 - 1598

Jan Saenredam created this engraving, "Sarah," sometime between the late 16th and early 17th centuries. It’s an image steeped in the social and religious mores of the period. Here, Sarah embodies the complex intersections of gender, faith, and societal expectations. We see her in a domestic setting, seemingly caught between her earthly duties and divine destiny. Her hand rests over her heart, perhaps indicating the emotional weight of her situation: an older, barren woman chosen to bear a child. The inscription at the bottom alludes to this miraculous conception, emphasizing that through divine intervention, Sarah would conceive. Saenredam, working in a time of rigid social structures, presents Sarah in a manner that both acknowledges and transcends the limitations imposed on women. The image resonates with the tension between the body's perceived limitations and the potential for divine grace, reflecting societal preoccupations with female fertility and spiritual destiny.