Psyche als godin aanbeden door het volk c. 1530 - 1560

This engraving, titled "Psyche as goddess worshiped by the people" was made by Meester van de Dobbelsteen. Prints such as this circulated widely and helped shape cultural values. Here, we see the classical story of Psyche, a mortal woman whose beauty was so great that people began to worship her instead of Venus. The engraving participates in a long history of representing women's bodies as objects of admiration and desire. Psyche’s elevation by the community disrupts the traditional hierarchy of the Gods. It speaks to a society grappling with the agency and power of women, yet it also reinforces the idea that a woman's worth is tied to her physical appearance. The expressions on the faces of the crowd range from admiration to what seems like skepticism, hinting at the complex ways in which female beauty can be both celebrated and questioned. The image invites us to consider the tension between personal identity, social expectations, and the gaze of others.