Vignet met de personificatie van Lijdzaamheid 1723 - 1767

Jacob Folkema created this vignette with the personification of patience during the 18th century. The image embodies the stoic ideals valued in that period, reflecting a society where self-control and endurance were seen as virtues, particularly for women. The central female figure stands with her hands clasped, a rosary hanging loosely, framed by an ornate oval. She is Patience personified, her gentle, almost resigned expression suggesting a quiet strength. Vines and roses decorate the vignette, symbols that intertwine beauty with the thorns of life, suggesting that even in hardship, there is grace. This work invites reflection on the historical expectations placed on individuals to accept their circumstances with grace and without complaint, and how these expectations are gendered. What does it mean to depict patience as feminine, and how might that representation shape our understanding of strength and resilience?