Sposa di Livellandia 1598

Christoph Krieger made this woodcut engraving of a bride of Livellandia. The print comes from a book of world costumes, a popular genre in the German Renaissance. It reflects period fascinations with categorizing and understanding the diversity of human cultures. The image creates meaning through visual codes and cultural references. The bride is shown in her traditional wedding attire, which consists of a long, flowing robe, a crown, and various ornaments. The artist likely never visited Livellandia, a former region in modern-day Estonia and Latvia, so he had to rely on second-hand accounts, from travelers or other printed sources. The image reflects the social conditions of 16th-century Europe, as European countries were expanding their trade and colonial empires and coming into contact with new cultures and peoples. As historians, we might compare this image with other costume books and travel accounts to understand how Europeans perceived and represented other cultures during this period. By analyzing the visual codes and cultural references in the image, we can learn more about the social, political, and economic forces that shaped its production.