Het goede huwelijk 1611 - 1639

Crispijn van de Passe II created "The Good Marriage," an engraving, sometime between 1597 and 1670. The composition is divided between a family scene and a background of villagers. The foreground, with its figures clustered tightly together, contrasts with the openness of the wider environment. The image's meaning is intricately woven into the formal construction of the artwork. The family are positioned close to us on the right, and the father rests wearily on a rock. In the background, a festive scene unfolds, with villagers celebrating. The artist seems to use the composition to present marriage as both a source of familial comfort and a link to the broader social world, with the family literally grounded and the villagers' dynamic activity implying the couple's integration within their community. The formal arrangement of figures and activities is more than just illustrative. It functions as a commentary on marriage's role in society, with the engraver reflecting upon its place within the economy of labour and the social structure. The structure invites us to reflect on the dynamic interplay between domesticity and the wider world, between labour and leisure.