Strijd om de broek 1581 - 1600

This anonymous print, titled 'Strijd om de broek', presents a scene of domestic strife through a lens of gendered power dynamics. The artwork reflects a society grappling with shifting roles and expectations, capturing a moment of intense negotiation—or battle—over control within the household. The figures are rendered with an expressiveness that conveys the emotional weight of this struggle. The image is crowded with figures in either support or protest, highlighting the communal nature of these domestic disputes. In this chaotic scene, the literal tug-of-war over the trousers becomes a symbolic representation of the broader power struggles between men and women in the domestic sphere. The print invites us to reflect on the ways in which gender roles are negotiated, contested, and sometimes upended in the intimate spaces of our lives.