Lequeu was intrigued by the concept of gender fluidity. His interest led him to depict a rarely discussed figure from a 1727 mythological dictionary: Agdistis, born of the gods Jupiter and Cybele, who had both male and female physical attribut es and was castrated by the gods. Lequeu showed the young deity frontally, with breasts and male genitalia. The figure holds a rose and an arrow-shaped lightning bolt, alluding to the female and male sexual organs.
Jean-Jacques Lequeu (1757–1826)
Agdistis, Son of Jupiter, ca. 1794–95
Pen and black ink, black and gray wash
Bibliothèque nationale de France, Departement des Estampes et de la photographie