Gioco Delle Donne, E Sue Facende (Game of Wives, And Their Chores) 1654 - 1718

Giuseppe Maria Mitelli etched "Game of Wives, And Their Chores" on paper in the 17th century. The print presents a series of vignettes depicting women engaged in domestic activities, framed as stages in a game. The dice, prominently featured, are not merely game elements; they are symbols of chance and fate dictating women's roles. This motif reminds me of the "Wheel of Fortune," a symbol ubiquitous across cultures, from ancient Roman mosaics to medieval manuscripts, representing life's unpredictable nature. Here, though, the wheel is replaced by the dice, domesticating fate and reducing women's lives to a game of chance within the confines of their homes. There's a potent psychological undercurrent here. The image evokes the subconscious anxieties and societal pressures placed on women, turning daily life into a performance dictated by patriarchal norms. This game, with its implied rules and consequences, reflects the constrained existence and cyclical nature of women’s duties.