De bruid en de Dood 1651

Editor: This is "The Bride and Death," an engraving from 1651 by Wenceslaus Hollar, currently at the Rijksmuseum. It’s a very detailed print; seeing the bride, and then the skeleton lurking there, is quite unsettling. What’s your perspective on this piece? Curator: I see a pointed commentary on the labor involved in the rituals of marriage and social mobility in the 17th century. Hollar is using the relatively accessible medium of printmaking to circulate a “vanitas” image, reminding viewers of mortality. Consider the materials present: the clothing being exchanged, the jewelry on the table, the hourglass... All commodities, all things produced through labor. Editor: So, the presence of death is related to the transience of earthly possessions? Curator: Precisely. It’s a commentary on the fleeting nature of material wealth and social standing. Death acts as a leveler, undermining the importance placed on commodities that signify status. Editor: The figures to the sides, too, look like they’re holding urns or vases… how does that contribute? Curator: Those flanking figures are interesting; their placement further frames the central action. Ask yourself, where do these precious materials come from? What labor went into the arrangement in their urns? Editor: It's a fascinating approach to looking at the art, focusing on the labor and materiality behind the imagery. Curator: Absolutely. It is important to consider the socioeconomic circumstances and modes of artistic and societal production of Hollar’s time.