MASTERPIECE

A preparatory drawing for the third print in the series, The Power of Women, also survives, at The Courtauld Institute of Art. In this print, the woman is more powerful than the monarch, because she gives birth to kings. She holds a broken sceptre in her right hand and a crowned infant king in her left hand. At her feet are objects of power and wealth. The scene in the background of Delilah cutting Samson’s hair and the depiction of King Solomon being urged by his wives to worship idols, symbolizes guile. Here, woman is portrayed as sly and manipulative. Many biblical and classical stories tell of women’s “wiles,” which were painted frequently until around 1600. In some cases, men are even warned to be wary of her cunning when dealing with a woman.