Het huwelijk van Jakob en Lea en de geboorte van hun eerste kind c. 1563

This engraving of "The Marriage of Jacob and Leah and the Birth of their First Child" was made by Cornelis Cort in the Netherlands, sometime in the 16th century. It shows a biblical scene, but the presentation and design are heavily shaped by the cultural values of Cort's time. The visual codes and references create meaning by linking the biblical narrative to contemporary concerns about marriage, family, and social order. The figures wear clothes that would be familiar to a 16th-century audience. And the geometric perspective is a nod to the status of art, mathematics, and science in the Netherlands at this time. The engraving reflects the period's complex negotiation of religious and social norms. Cort’s choice to depict this particular subject from the Book of Genesis invites consideration of contemporary debates around marriage, lineage, and divine will. Analyzing such artwork requires a look into theological texts, sumptuary laws, and the cultural history of family life in the Netherlands. These kinds of resources enrich our understanding, reminding us that art's meaning is contingent on its social and institutional context.