Allegorie op het huwelijk 1718

Editor: So, here we have "Allegorie op het huwelijk," or Allegory of Marriage, an engraving made in 1718 by Jacob Folkema. It’s quite detailed! What stands out to me is the figure of Cupid in the foreground. It feels like he’s presenting us with…a choice? What do you see in this piece? Curator: The Cupid definitely commands attention, doesn’t he? But look at how Folkema employs classical figures and architectural elements. What’s that Latin phrase on the cartouche at the bottom… Amor pretiosior auro. Editor: “Love is more precious than gold.” Curator: Exactly. Think about that message in the context of marriage. Why is Love represented as being more precious than gold? What cultural values do you think Folkema, or perhaps more accurately, his patron, intended to convey through this allegorical representation of marriage? The scene almost reads like a theatrical tableau. Editor: Well, on one side we have figures that suggest a more artistic, intellectual life, whereas the other man seems ready for war. And in between them, this marriage is to be forged over an altar of some kind. There are different possible futures being offered. Curator: Precisely. And note the details: the abandoned bow and arrow, perhaps suggesting the cessation of courtship after marriage, or Love being channeled differently, towards homebuilding and stability. Editor: That's really fascinating – so the whole composition is designed to convey the transformation inherent in marriage, more than a simple statement about romance. Curator: Indeed! It's about legacy, familial continuity and the creation of new unions; a deeply ingrained value that continues to be echoed and represented in culture, century after century. Even now. Editor: I hadn’t thought about that. It makes the image so much more rich and layered. Thanks!