Afbeeldingh hoe seven wyven vechten om een mans broeck ende de vrou de broeck aentrecht [(...)] Possibly 1700 - 1865

This anonymous print, "Afbeeldingh hoe seven wyven vechten om een mans broeck ende de vrou de broeck aentrecht," presents a series of visual proverbs, each laden with symbolic weight. Consider the figure adorned with windmills, who embodies the proverb, “this one waits with all winds.” The windmill— a symbol of adaptability. We see echoes of this figure in earlier depictions of Fortuna, the Roman goddess of fortune, often shown with a wheel or rudder, steering through the winds of fate. The presence of the windmill evokes not just an individual adapting to circumstances, but a deeper anxiety about control and direction in a world driven by capricious forces. This resonates with our own subconscious, where the fear of the unknown meets the human drive to navigate life’s unpredictable currents. The non-linear path of this symbol— from ancient goddess to Dutch proverb, mirrors the cyclical nature of human experience, always resurfacing, evolving, and finding new forms.