Western culture--perhaps human culture itself--has had an uneasy relationship with female power, particularly in the form of female beauty and sexual allure. At a period in history when several world powers boasted female heads of state, anxiety over the thorny issue of female power was expressed in a variety of prints and other artwork designed for popular audiences. The refinement of printmaking during the sixteenth century gave artists an inexpensive method of circulating visual material, not only in the service of the ruling elite, but catering to popular tastes and attitudes. A favorite secular theme was the disastrous consequences of a man of heroic virtue who is beguiled and bested by a woman.

University of Michigan Museum of Art, Gift of Jean Paul Slusser, 1959/1.125

View Carracci's version of Susanna and the Elders (detail), depicting the biblical story of Susanna and the elders.

In order to stress the universality of the threat, even men of great wisdom or strength, from both the biblical and the classical traditions, were depicted succumbing to feminine wiles. The philosopher Aristotle, representing the paragon of human reason, was famously portrayed being ridden and whipped like a pony by his beautiful mistress, Phyllis, seduced into utter foolishness by feminine charms. This story could be taken as a warning to ordinary husbands as well.

Popular tales of heroines who use their seductive powers for the good of the nation presented artists with an irresistible mix of beauty, virtue and seduction. Hearkening back to the story of Eve as the prototypical seductress, misogynist thinking presented women as having a greater capacity for evil than men, primarily due to their ability to lead men into sin through their beauty. This threat to the social order was expressed in images of male and female role reversal, where images of unruly women have their roots in the ritual role reversal that characterized Carnival and other medieval European festivals (Davis, 1977). The notorious print series The Power of Women, which features figures from the Bible and from secular legend involved in acts of treachery or deceit, echoes imagery found in medieval manuscript illumination and choir stall carvings (Smith, 1995).

Examine these images from the notorious Power of Women and Scenes from Daily Life series.

	Thinking Point
	Create a list of the various ways "female power" is represented in modern media. In particular, consider representations in print ads, commercials, television shows and film. How many items on your list would you consider a negative depiction? How many positive?

The sight of women ruling prompted artists to revisit and reimagine the darker aspects of the theme of powerful women. Stories and legends of women who used their feminine charms to overpower men were popular at this time, providing a vehicle for expressing anxiety about female sexuality. Seduction stories offered an irresistible mix of beauty, violence and opportunities for voyeuristic pleasure. Whether the female figure in the story was virtuous, such as the biblical heroine Judith, or an unsympathetic character like Delilah, artists' depictions often emphasized female sexuality and its danger to men over the circumstances or motives of the women themselves.