Woman Wearing a Hat with Four Plumes, Her Hands on Her Hips, Between Two Men c. 17th century

Editor: Here we have Jacques Callot's tiny etching, "Woman Wearing a Hat with Four Plumes, Her Hands on Her Hips, Between Two Men." The figures are so theatrical, almost like characters on a stage. What's your take on the social dynamic presented here? Curator: It's fascinating to consider Callot's work within the context of 17th-century social performance. Etchings like these circulated widely. How might such imagery shape perceptions of gender and power dynamics in public life? Editor: That’s interesting. I hadn’t thought about the role of prints in shaping social views. Curator: Exactly. It also prompts us to question whose stories get represented and circulated, and for what purposes. The "Cum Privilegio Regis" shows how central power and authority were to artmaking at the time. Editor: That makes me rethink the woman's confident pose. Thanks!