In Five Acts–The Wedding Tour, from "Picture Poesies" 1866 - 1874

John William North created this engraving, "The Wedding Tour," which captures a bridal couple descending a rugged landscape. The scene is infused with symbols of marriage and journey. The act of descending itself is a potent motif. Recall images of Orpheus descending into the underworld to retrieve Eurydice; this descent can represent life’s challenges that the couple must face together. The way the man supports the woman echoes the classical image of marital support found in many cultures. In ancient Roman wedding iconography, the joining of hands symbolized the bond between husband and wife. Here, the act of aiding suggests a protective role, reminiscent of images of Aeneas carrying his father Anchises from Troy, symbolizing duty and familial continuity. The very act of marriage taps into primal urges of continuation, a sentiment as powerful now as it was millennia ago. The image pulls us into a narrative of enduring love.