Rape of the Sabines

About this work

This etching shows three struggling figures in a wild landscape. One man is lifting a woman by her arm, while another man clings to her legs, reaching up. The scene is dark and dramatic, with rough textures and deep shadows. The title at the bottom calls it *Enlèvement d’une Sabine*—the "abduction" of a Sabine woman, a story from Roman history. The artist used strong contrasts between light and dark to make the action feel urgent. Next, look up Baroque to see how this style used drama and movement in art.