The Juggler and the Woman, ca. 1490

About the Work

Despite its modern title, this engraving does not depict a showman’s performance. The jug characterizes the male protagonist as a drinker, the pouch lying on the ground as a wastrel. He is engaged in a vulgar peasants’ dance in which he must balance a glass beaker on his forehead. The woman appears to be tired of the relationship, but the banderoles draped over the two like a pair of pincers and the inextricable knot connecting them stand for the indissoluble bond of marriage.