Egeria rouwt om de dood van Numa Pompilius c. 1636 - 1670

This etching, *Egeria rouwt om de dood van Numa Pompilius*, depicts the Roman nymph Egeria lamenting the death of Numa Pompilius, the second king of Rome, who ruled from 715 to 673 BC. Created by Crispijn van de Passe (II) between 1636 and 1670, the work is a fine example of 17th-century printmaking, and features a detailed, expressive rendering of the figures and the surrounding landscape. The scene unfolds beneath a leafy tree, with the distraught Egeria supported by another woman, while two winged putti fly overhead, a symbol of Numa's ascension to the heavens. This historical and mythological scene captures a powerful moment of grief, loss, and the fragility of life.