The Emasculating Distaff
The theme of the emasculating distaff also appears in church sculpture, and it continues in art of the 17th and 18th centuries.
Woman dominating man with distaff, Kappenberg Church, around 1514
Veiled and booted witch with distaff rides a giant disembodied penis, in the company of other witches and creatures. Drawing by Bernard Picart, from the Parmigiana region. Note spindles stuck into the headband of witch in background.
Holbein's etching brings in the theme of male homosexuality, directing social opprobrium toward males who do not conform to heteronormativity.
The distaff-holdng man is glancing back flirtatiously, with his garments parted to show his buttocks, and suggestively pointing the spindle toward them.
"Where Woman Rules And Wears the Breeches, Everything Goes Backwards." Dutch engraving,1600s. The woman standing at center is wielding a distaff; at right a woman is making a skirted man put breeches on her.
The image above turns on the theme of a world that is backwards. More common is the idea of "the world turned upside down," as in this print by the Master of Amsterdam, which depicts a misogynist fantasy of female rule.
The woman is riding on the man, who is made to hold her distaff as she spins from it. To underline the point, a man is shown below standing on his head.
"La folie des hommes, ou le monde à rebours," 18th century
(Men's folly, or the world in reverse)
Here the man sits with distaff, spindle and baby, while the woman marches with sword, rifle and staff, smoking a cigar.
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