Design for Decoration of the Town Hall of Nuremberg

The composition shows architectural arches framed by vertical ornamental bands containing satyrs, masks, and floral swags. Circular medallions at the top contain narrative scenes: David and Bathsheba on the far left, Samson and Delilah in the center, and the philosopher Aristotle being ridden by Phyllis on the right. This layout was intended to guide the painting of large-scale frescoes in the city’s primary civic building.

This work exemplifies the Northern Renaissance 'Weibermacht' (Power of Women) theme, which used historical and philosophical figures to warn against the subversion of reason by worldly desire. The inclusion of Aristotle—the foundational authority for natural philosophy—being humbled by Phyllis illustrates the humanist belief that even the greatest intellect is vulnerable to the senses.