Eine halb entblößte Frau pflückt Früchte von einem Baum, Haar und Gewand fliegen im Wind 

Polidoro da Caravaggio, an Italian painter of the Renaissance, sketched this drawing of a half-dressed woman picking fruit from a tree, sometime around the early 16th century. During the Renaissance, artists often depicted women in mythological or allegorical scenes. This drawing, located at the Städel Museum, can be seen as part of a broader cultural interest in classical themes. But it also presents a more vulnerable and intimate portrayal of a woman engaged in a simple, everyday activity. The woman’s partial nudity may hint at the male gaze that was often present in Renaissance art. However, it also reveals an interesting tension between the idealized and the real. Her hair and clothes are windswept, suggesting movement and a connection with nature. The sketch invites us to reflect on the complex interplay between the artistic conventions, gender representation, and naturalism. This allows us to appreciate the humanity and strength of its subject.