The Suicide of Portia 1612 - 1616

Jacques Bellange's "The Suicide of Portia" (1612–16) is a poignant etching that captures the tragic demise of Portia, the wife of Brutus, from Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar." The composition focuses on Portia's grief-stricken figure as she sits by a large, ornately decorated bowl, an iconic symbol of her tragic suicide. The delicate lines and shading of Bellange's style emphasize Portia's despair, creating a moving and deeply personal interpretation of this famous literary figure. The work is on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.