Fries met in het midden twee vrouwen 1512 - 1560

This is "Fries met in het midden twee vrouwen", made by Heinrich Aldegrever. Aldegrever was a German printmaker and painter, and an important figure among the "Little Masters", who created small intricate engravings during the German Renaissance. This ornamental frieze encapsulates the aesthetic and cultural values of its time. The two women, adorned with wreaths, stand amidst swirling acanthus leaves. Their bare breasts challenge modern sensibilities, yet they reflect the period's complex attitudes toward the female form, oscillating between idealization and objectification. What might it have been like to live in a society where such imagery was commonplace, yet gender roles were so strictly defined?