Chastity, from "The Virtues" 1552

"Chastity, from "The Virtues"", was created in 1552 by Heinrich Aldegrever as an engraving. Aldegrever was a German printmaker and painter, representative of the Anabaptist movement during the Protestant Reformation. This print comes from a series of engravings that personify virtues. During the Reformation, the representation of virtues such as chastity often became a battleground for different views on morality, gender roles, and the relationship between the individual and religious authority. Here, Chastity is embodied by a powerful, self-possessed female figure who stands confidently. But let's consider the context of the Reformation, when ideas about gender and female virtue were hotly debated. Aldegrever was part of a movement that sought radical societal change, and that included a re-evaluation of traditional roles for women. What do you make of her presence? Does she maintain traditional representations or develop alternative narratives?