Von Agrippina de gemahel germanici · Centre for Early Modern Visual Culture

Title: Von Agrippina de gemahel germanici
Subject: Important Women; Famous Women; Tiberius; Agrippina
Period: 1450-1500;
Geographic: Italy; Ancient Rome
Description: This engraving depicts Agrippina, the wife of Germanicus, being forced to eat food. Agrippina is depicted on the right side of the image on her knees as a man holds her head back while the other man is force feeding her with a spoon. The man on the left side of the image is Tiberius, the one who is ordering her to be fed. Tiberius is Germanicus’ father, and after he killed his own son, he sent his daughter-in-law Agrippina to prison. Agrippina decided to starve herself to death to avoid dying at Tiberius’ hands, however, Tiberius force fed her so that she would not die on her own. The creator engraved Agrippina’s name above her head, as well as Tiberius’ name, which is engraved beside his body.
Image Creator: Anonymous (Engraver)
Type: Text; Woodcut Engraving
Identifier: mta:18060
Language: ger
Source Name: Hyenach volget der kurcz syn von ettlichen frauen von denen johannes boccacius in latein beschriben hat und doctor heinricus stainhöwel geteütschet [Following the short stories of several women of which Giovanni Boccaccio wrote in Latin, and doctor Heinrich Steinhöwel translated]
Parent Collection: 1473 Augsburg
Image: mta_18060_OBJ.png