Portret van Helena Antonia, op 18-jarige leeftijd, met baard before 1615

Dominicus Custos made this engraving of Helena Antonia, at age 18, with a beard. The image raises all sorts of questions about the representation of gender and the relationship between the body and identity. Made in Augsburg, Germany, the image is a product of a culture grappling with scientific and religious reformations. In the context of early modern Europe, the presence of a beard on a woman was considered a medical curiosity, and a source of great public interest. The inscription at the bottom tells us she was born in the archbishopric of Liège, and raised by Maria, a widow. Custos profits from the widespread interest in Helena's unusual appearance. As historians, we might examine medical texts of the period to understand the contemporary scientific understanding of such conditions. We can consider how visual culture shapes our understanding of gender and the body. We need to remember that the meaning of art is always contingent on its social context.