The Bride 

Vincent Xeus’ painting titled ‘The Bride’ depicts a woman with her head slightly bowed, a white veil draped over her head, and made with oil on canvas. Xeus’s painting invites contemplation of the social rituals surrounding marriage. In many cultures, the bride symbolizes purity and transition, and the veil itself represents modesty and a passage into a new identity. But more broadly, this image might provoke questions about institutional pressures on women. What does it mean for a woman to be seen as an object of purity? How do institutional pressures shape the agency of women? And how do marriage rites function to reinforce social norms? To further explore these ideas, one could examine wedding photography and marriage advice columns in women's magazines from the early 21st century. What insights do these resources offer us regarding the social expectations placed upon women during this period? By examining such source material, we can acquire a deeper understanding of the cultural significance and social context surrounding this piece.