Guillaume Bodinier: The Marriage Contract in Italy
This painting is confusing to me. Is the couple circled below the ones getting married (she looks a little young)?
Or is the lady circled here the one getting married to the young man at right? If so, then who is the young woman next to him?
Here is a possible explanation: This is a second marriage for the young man at least. The young girl close to him is his daughter. A wife would not stand so close to him in public. Holding hands is not considered acceptable behaviour in public. Young couples hold hands when they consider themselves unobserved.
ReplyDeleteSo the wife-to-be is the young woman on the left. She modestly averts her eyes. The young girl on the right, the daughter, looks at her stepmother-to-be with uncertainty.