Allegory of Marital Strife

About this artwork

Pieter Serwouters frequently produced etchings after drawings by the painter David Vinckboons on humorous genre subjects. The peasant couple in this playful etching is fighting over the age-old question of who wears the pants in a marriage. The poem below the image implies that the husband’s station will be permanently compromised once he obeys his heckling wife and helps her don a pair of his trousers. Here he kneels, nearly cowering at her vigorous gestures, the outcome of the scene seemingly ...

Art Historical Context

Created in 1607 by Dutch printmaker Pieter Serwouters, *Allegory of Marital Strife* uses symbolic imagery to explore the tensions and conflicts within marriage. As an etching, the work reflects the growing popularity of printmaking in the early seventeenth century, when such images circulated widely among collectors and the educated public. The modest size—roughly the dimensions of a small book page—made it ideal for private contemplation or inclusion in albums. Etching on laid paper allowed artists like Serwouters to achieve fine lines and expressive detail while keeping production relatively affordable. This medium helped spread moralizing or allegorical subjects beyond elite circles, inviting viewers to reflect on social relationships through visual metaphor. Today, the print resides in the Art Institute of Chicago’s department of Prints and Drawings, where it offers insight into seventeenth-century attitudes toward domestic life and the power of graphic art to convey complex human experiences.