Huwelijk 1683 - 1733

Bernard Picart created this ornately framed etching, "Huwelijk," the Dutch word for marriage, around the turn of the 18th century. The composition invites us to decode its symbolism through the formal arrangement of its elements. Notice how the marriage is consecrated center-stage, flanked by classical figures under an arch of foliage. This arch is not merely decorative; it serves as a structuring device, framing the central action while drawing our eyes upward to Cupid, poised with his arrow. The use of engraving lends itself to a highly structured image with fine lines to create depth and texture. The swan and putti on either side act as formal anchors, their positioning within the frame suggesting a carefully constructed tableau. The symmetry and clarity invite us to consider how meaning is constructed through visual rhetoric. Picart does not merely depict a marriage; he constructs a symbolic space ripe with cultural and philosophical undertones.