Kroonlijst met kariatidenmotief 1776

Placido Columbani created this print of a cornice with caryatid motif using etching. The print presents an architectural element adorned with figures known as caryatids, which are female figures used as supporting columns. These figures, draped in classical garb, bear the weight of the structure above them. Historically, caryatids reference the women of Caryae, who were enslaved by the Greeks as punishment for siding with the Persians, and whose likeness was subsequently used in architecture. Here, we can observe how the print perpetuates certain historical and cultural narratives about gender, power, and subjugation. The female form is used to symbolize strength and servitude. The print serves as a historical record of design aesthetics while silently echoing the societal structures and historical narratives it embodies.