Bruiloft van prins Ruy Velasquez met doña Lambra 1612

Antonio Tempesta created this engraving, "Bruiloft van prins Ruy Velasquez met doña Lambra," around the turn of the 17th century. The image depicts the wedding of Prince Ruy Velasquez, set against the backdrop of a society deeply shaped by notions of nobility and lineage. Weddings of this era were not merely personal unions but significant political and social events. The presence of Venus and Cupid suggests an idealization of marriage, yet we should also consider the economic and strategic dimensions of such alliances. Who stood to gain power or influence through this union? What role did women play in these dynastic arrangements, often as pawns in a larger game of power? Tempesta's engraving invites us to reflect on the intersections of love, power, and social expectation in early modern Europe.