UNKNOWN MASTER, German
(active 1490s)

The Three Social Classes

1490s
Woodcut
British Museum, London

The three social classes in the Middle Ages were the clergy, knights and farmers. In this woodcut from the end of the 15th century, each class is expressly allocated its task in life: "You say prayers, you protect and you till the fields."




© Web Gallery of Art, created by Emil Krén and Daniel Marx.