ABSTRACT
Our understanding of early modern representations of fishwives, who are so often compared to the fishy bodies they sell, relies first on a careful accounting of the special relationships that inhered between humans and fish in this period. In many respects, popular conceptions about fish and fishing have remained consistent from early modernity until our own historical moment. Early modern stereotypes of fishwives attempt to obscure but instead often call attention to the distinction and influence of women who sold fish for a living. Representations highlight the differences in English and Dutch fishwives, particularly with respect to class and environment. Dutch fishwives, often middle-class women who managed their own stalls, are depicted as having more power in the industry. English fishwives, on the other hand, are frequently portrayed as disorderly, noisy and immoral, presumably because of their marginal status as street hawkers.
