Phyllis Riding AristotleAmong the many scenes that expressed the debate about women visually were woodcuts, engravings, paintings, and even cups and plates that showed the classical philosopher Aristotle as an old man being ridden by the young, beautiful Phyllis (shown here in a German woodcut). The origins of the story are uncertain, but in the Renaissance everyone knew the tale of how Aristotle’s infatuation with Phyllis led to his ridicule. Male moralists used it as a warning about the power of women’s sexual allure, though women may have interpreted it differently. (© RMN-