Justinus, an einem Tisch sitzend, exzerpiert sein Werk aus den Schriften des Trogus Pompejus 1743

Paul Egell drafted this pencil drawing, "Justinus, an einem Tisch sitzend, exzerpiert sein Werk aus den Schriften des Trogus Pompejus," sometime between 1691 and 1752. The piece depicts Justinus, a Roman historian, seated at a table, extracting information from the writings of Trogus Pompeius. A female figure is standing in the middle of the drawing, possibly as a muse to Justinus. In this era, access to historical texts and the ability to interpret and disseminate them were highly influenced by social status and education. The representation of Justinus in the act of writing underscores the importance of historical narrative and intellectual labor. This piece might evoke questions about whose stories are told, who has the authority to tell them, and how these narratives shape our understanding of history.