Pyramus and Thisbe c. 1679

Willem van Mieris created Pyramus and Thisbe, a drawing, during the Dutch Golden Age, a time of immense cultural and economic growth in the Netherlands. Here, Van Mieris visualizes a tragic tale of love and miscommunication. The artist paints a scene of dramatic intensity with the distraught Thisbe poised to take her own life after finding her lover, Pyramus, dead. The story of Pyramus and Thisbe is rooted in themes of forbidden love and sacrifice, themes echoing societal constraints. The image of the distressed Thisbe might resonate with the struggles of women during that era, where societal expectations often confined them to limited roles, with death as the only form of agency. The inclusion of a crying Cupid adds a layer of complex emotion, representing the despair and consequences that unfulfilled love can bring. This artwork serves as a narrative and a reflection on the societal and personal dimensions of love, loss, and the constraints placed upon individuals.