Portret van Anna Maria van Schurman 1640 - 1676

This is Theodor Matham’s portrait of Anna Maria van Schurman, made using engraving techniques sometime in the 17th century. Schurman was a remarkable figure during the Dutch Golden Age. Born in Cologne, she was a polymath, proficient in fourteen languages, and an accomplished artist, poet, and scholar. This portrait captures Schurman's intellectual intensity and her defiance of societal expectations. In a time when women's education was severely limited, she argued for women's rights to education, challenging the patriarchal norms of her era. She felt that, "Neglecting women's education is a great sin." Here, we see Schurman posed with books, emblems of her intellectual life. The cityscape in the background grounds her in the world while also implying her transcendence of it. This image both reflects and shapes the ongoing discourse about women's roles in society. It’s a testament to Schurman's legacy as a pioneering advocate for women's education and intellectual freedom, encapsulating both her personal journey and broader societal shifts.