Fornarina 

This print was made by Giovanni Battista Piranesi in the 18th century. It depicts Alexander the Great and Roxana at their wedding. The scene is awash with the visual language of conquest and possession. Alexander extends his hand to Roxana while attended by male figures. A group of putti surrounds them, acting as witnesses to the union. Roxana is depicted reclining on a bed, seemingly passive in this moment. The contrast is stark: Alexander, the active conqueror versus Roxana, the feminized symbol of the lands he has seized. This image suggests that Roxana, and by extension her land, is merely another spoil of war. Piranesi captures the complex intersection of gender, power, and colonialism. What do you feel when viewing this depiction of a conquered woman? The print leaves us to consider how women are affected by the grand narratives of history.