Judit en haar dienares verlaten Bethulië c. 1547 - 1559

Editor: This is "Judit en haar dienares verlaten Bethulië," made around 1547-1559 by Dirck Volckertsz Coornhert. It’s a drawing done in ink, almost like a pen illustration. It has this anxious energy, right? Like they're fleeing something terrible. How do you interpret this work, particularly considering its historical context? Curator: Absolutely. Consider the figure of Judith – a woman taking radical action in the face of male aggression. What does it tell us about female agency in the Northern Renaissance? What power structures were at play, that necessitated this form of heroism? Coornhert chooses to show them *leaving*, right after this moment, where one woman defeats a general through cunning and courage. What does it mean to only show the exit? Editor: That’s a really interesting point. We don’t see the action itself. Is Coornhert maybe making a comment on how female power is only recognized *after* the fact? Almost as if it has to be framed as a retreat, instead of active subversion? Curator: Exactly. It is imperative we consider this through the lens of gender. Consider Judith's quiet maidservant – almost erased behind her. The piece hints at female solidarity, but also exposes its precarity. How does it intersect with issues of class, religion, or politics in Coornhert's time? And can we draw parallels with modern feminist discourse and challenges to oppressive systems? Editor: It definitely makes you think about who gets to be a hero, and how that heroism is framed and remembered – or erased. It’s a really striking piece. Curator: Indeed. Seeing it through an activist lens reveals uncomfortable truths about history, representation, and power.