Fabel van de man en zijn twee vrouwen 1769

Simon Fokke made this print, 'Fable of the man and his two wives', using etching techniques in the Netherlands, sometime in the 18th century. The image depicts a scene from Aesop's fables, representing the consequences of a man's vanity. Two wives groom him, one plucking out the grey hairs to keep him young, the other removing the dark hairs to match her age. Eventually, he becomes bald. Prints like this one circulated widely, illustrating moral tales in an accessible form. Fokke's choice of subject reflects the values of Dutch society at the time, cautioning against the dangers of vanity and the importance of moderation. Understanding this artwork requires historical context, which is why the resources of institutions like this one are so invaluable. Exploring Dutch social history from the 1700s can help us understand the specific social and cultural meanings that this image would have held for its original audience.