Monnik en schoenmakersvrouw 1641

"Monnik en schoenmakersvrouw" (Monk and Shoemaker's Wife), a 1641 etching by Crispijn van de Passe (II), depicts two separate scenes within oval frames. The left side features a monk, seemingly lost in thought, while the right side shows a woman, likely a cobbler's wife, wiping away tears. The inscription below the figures provides a moralistic context, suggesting that both the monk and the woman have abandoned their vows and fallen into sin. The composition, with its contrasting scenes and detailed depictions of the figures, exemplifies the realism and social commentary prevalent in Dutch art of the 17th century.