Meetkunde 1592

This print, titled *Meetkunde*, was made by an anonymous artist. Here we see Geometry, personified as a woman, and the different activities of land measurement and construction in her presence. In the 16th century, the personification of Geometry was a common artistic trope meant to embody intellectual pursuits and scientific knowledge, which were often intertwined with notions of power and control. It's interesting to consider how gender operates here. Geometry is embodied by a woman, yet the practice of geometry and related trades were restricted to men. Does the artist offer us a vision of empowerment by representing geometry as a woman? Or does the depiction ultimately reinforce existing societal norms by showing men alone as the active practitioners of geometry? It leaves me wondering about the emotional resonance this image might have had for women of the time.