Anonymous: The battle for the trousers (1581 - 1600)

(Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

An engraving made by an unknown Dutch artist. Several men and women are fighting in a shabby building. The flag on the left with the hand reads "D' Overhant" (= " The upper hand") which means that the women are in control here: a man is working on a spinning wheel and another is putting pants on a woman. On the wall are several Latin lines, including "Au amat, aut odit Mulier, nil tertium habere" (= A woman either hates or loves: there is nothing in between). These kinds of prints 'warned' men of female greed. Print from 1581-1600.