The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of May 31, 2023

A Bridal Couple

c. 1470

Southern Germany, 15th century

Oil on panel

Framed: 77.5 x 51 x 8.1 cm (30 1/2 x 20 1/16 x 3 3/16 in.); Unframed: 62.3 x 36.5 cm (24 1/2 x 14 3/8 in.)

Delia E. Holden and L. E. Holden Funds 1932.179

Location

111 German and Austrian Gothic

Fun Fact

This painting inspired internationally renowned Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho to write a piece of music titled "Orion" after she visited the museum.

Description

This painting depicting a recently married aristocratic couple is filled with symbolism. The various floral elements represent love and fertility, while the colors of their clothes suggest not only their relationship but also chastity, love, and modesty. What details might you choose to symbolize a young couple in love?

Provenance
1825-1903
L. Schutzenberger, Strasbourg, France
1903-?
André Weil, Paris, France
?-1932
(Wildenstein & Co., NY, New York), sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art
1932-
The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
Citations
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Art Digest (November. 1, 1932). p. 6
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Les Amants Trepasses, Musées de la Ville de Strasbourg (2019). www.musees.strasbourg.eu
Exhibition history

European Art 1450-1500, Brooklyn Museum, New York, NY, (May 8- June 8,1936).

The Twentieth Anniversary Exhibition: The Official Art Exhibit of the Great Lakes Exposition. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (June 26-October 4, 1936).

Masterpieces of Art from the New York and San Francisco World's Fairs. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (February 7-March 7, 1940).

The Silver Jubilee Exhibition. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (June 23-September 28, 1941).

Jahreszeiten der Gefüle - Das Gothaer Liebespaar und die Kunst der Hohen Minne im Spätmittelalter. Schlossmuseum, Gotha (organizer) (May 2-June 28, 1998).

Object in Focus: A Bridal Couple. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (March 12-May 12, 2002).

Sacred Gifts and Worldly Treasures: Medieval Masterworks from the Cleveland Museum of Art. National Museum of Bavaria, Munich, Germany (May 10-September 16, 2007); J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, CA (October 30, 2007-January 20, 2008); Frist Art Museum, Nashville, TN (February 13-June 7, 2009).

Source URL: https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1932.179