Peeter Baltens: The young bride (1540 - 1584)

(Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

An engraving by the Flemish artist Peeter Baltens (1525 - 1584). A young woman, a bride, is being escorted by a group. This is the wedding night of the bride who is crying and holding a candle and a camber pot. Crying brides were popular in 16th century art and were often used for various sexual ambiguities. A small poem at the bottom explains that the sadness of the bride will soon be over: "Nu schreyt de bruyt, nochtans ik wedde, / sy sal weder lachen, als sy is te bedde' ("Now the bride is crying but i am sure that she will laugh again when she is in bed". Engraving from 1540-1584.