Foltering: zeewaarts sturen in brandend bootje 1565 - 1630

Antonio Tempesta created this etching, "Foltering: zeewaarts sturen in brandend bootje," sometime between 1570 and 1630. During this period, the power dynamics between colonizers and the colonized were defined by violence and oppression. Here, we see Tempesta depicting an act of torture. Two men are forcing a boat into the sea, upon which two women stand with their hands clasped in prayer. In the background, there are other boats aflame. Who are these women? Are they being punished for some transgression? Consider how Tempesta, an Italian artist, might have understood and represented such brutality. Does the image serve as a condemnation of violence, or does it perpetuate the era’s power structures? Think about how the women are positioned, seemingly resigned to their fate, as symbols of suffering. This etching invites us to reflect on the historical context of violence and the ways in which power, gender, and identity intersect. It encourages us to confront the uncomfortable aspects of our past and consider the legacies of colonialism and oppression that persist today.