Man krijgt slaag van drie vrouwen 1610

Salomon Savery created this print, “Man krijgt slaag van drie vrouwen,” around 1610. Notice how the lines, etched with precision, carve out a scene of domestic strife. The composition, though chaotic, is structured to draw your eye from the flurry of activity around the man being beaten, to the figures peering through windows and doorways. The harshness of the lines amplifies the violence of the scene. Savery uses a network of hatching and cross-hatching to define form and shadow. The tonal range, from the stark white of the paper to the deep blacks of the etched lines, intensifies the drama. The formal elements work together to create a visual allegory about the disruptive forces of disorder. It’s worth considering how this image challenges conventional gender roles. The women are not passive; they are active agents of retribution. The image presents a world turned upside down, where the traditional power dynamics between men and women are destabilized, inviting viewers to question fixed social meanings.