Medaillon met aan beide zijden een allegorische voorstelling van het huwelijk 1607 - 1677

Dirck Strijcker created this allegorical depiction of marriage. The radiant Hebrew word hovers above, a direct invocation of divine blessing upon the union. Consider the joining of hands: a gesture echoing across time, from Roman betrothal ceremonies to countless Renaissance paintings of saints and lovers. This clasp is not merely a formality; it is a symbolic conduit, channeling hopes, fears, and the weight of ancestral expectations. The exchange of a cup, a shared vessel, symbolizes unity and the merging of two lives. Yet, the presence of death lurking in the background reminds us of mortality. The serpent, often a symbol of temptation and chaos, is subdued under the feet of the couple, representing the triumph of marital fidelity and order over disruptive forces. Such imagery taps into the collective unconscious, drawing on primal narratives of love, loss, and the enduring human quest for harmony. The cycle continues, each new interpretation enriching its symbolic depth.