Romeinse scène met Scipio 1683 - 1727

Claude Duflos created this print, "Roman Scene with Scipio," during a time when Europe was fascinated by the grandeur of classical antiquity. Here, we see the intersection of power, spectacle, and identity. The central figure, presumably Scipio, stands armed amidst a crowd, embodying the Roman ideals of military strength and civic virtue. Duflos, working within the conventions of his era, evokes a world of male dominance and imperial ambition. The gazes and gestures of the surrounding figures suggest a moment of high drama, perhaps a pivotal decision or a display of authority. But what stories are absent from this representation of Roman life? Where are the voices and faces of the enslaved, the women, the non-Romans who were also part of this world? By prompting us to consider these absences, Duflos’s print becomes an invitation to critically examine the narratives we inherit and the histories we choose to tell.