Portrait of Susanna Lunden, sister of Helena Fourment 1763 - 1766

William Elliot created this engraving of Susanna Lunden in the 18th century. Susanna Lunden was the sister of Helena Fourment, who was famously the second wife of Peter Paul Rubens. The portrait captures Lunden in an intimate yet stylized pose, framed by an arched window. Her clothing is slightly open, revealing part of her breast, a provocative choice that invites questions about beauty standards and representation. Her gaze and gesture could be interpreted as an appeal for attention, or even a challenge to conventional modesty. Susanna Lunden, as the sister-in-law of a renowned artist’s wife, occupied a particular position in society. This image asks us to consider the agency and visibility of women in that era, how they were seen, and how they participated in the construction of their own identities through portraiture. How much power did they have over their image? What did it mean to be a muse, a family member, a woman in the 1700’s? This portrait not only reflects societal expectations, but also the personal and emotional dimensions of being a woman in a world that often sought to define them.