Toneel met Cybele, 1578 1578 - 1579

Antoni van Leest created this engraving titled 'Toneel met Cybele' in 1578. It depicts Cybele, the ancient Phrygian mother of all gods, on a stage flanked by male figures who appear to be holding back curtains to reveal her. The cultural context of 16th-century Europe infuses this image with symbolic weight. Cybele was a figure of immense power, capable of both destruction and salvation. Van Leest’s choice to portray Cybele on a theatrical stage raises questions about performance, gender, and power. Is she an actor, a spectacle, or an icon? The male figures at her sides are physically supporting the very structure upon which she stands, seemingly embodying a social order where men upheld female power – or at least its representation. This image encourages us to consider the ways in which women are presented, supported, and sometimes constrained by the structures around them. It's a vivid snapshot of a society grappling with shifting ideas about gender, divinity, and the spectacle of power.