COURAGE. Rubensgrafik III

With the exhibition series Human │ Rubens, the Siegerland Museum invites visitors to gain a deeper understanding of the printmaking work of Peter Paul Rubens. The collection is presented in changing chapters and placed in contemporary contexts. At its core is the human being—in relation to the environment, the celestial sphere, and, not least, to other people. COURAGE. Rubens Prints III forms the third chapter.

24 October 2025 – 4 January 2026

The third chapter of the Human │ Rubens series is dedicated to the theme of courage in prints by and after Peter Paul Rubens. At its center are depictions of women who demonstrate courage—whether as warriors, mothers, avengers, or rulers.

Femininity is viewed through Rubens’s male perspective: Which women are portrayed? To what extent are ideals of female virtue expressed in his work? And where does a fear of female power even emerge?

The exhibition presents the multifaceted representation of female courage and highlights the role of printmaking in the dissemination and interpretation of stories of heroines.