Here, Jan Brueghel has very accurately copied one of the most popular paintings made by his father, Pieter the Elder, in the mid-16th century.
He broke with the art of the Middle Ages and the Italian taste for the Renaissance to paint these countryside scenes. The oval composition and harmonious colour palette complement the agitated movement of the figures. The raised viewing position allows us to dominate the whole of the festive scene. Everything here reflects the vitality and joy of this wedding celebration and forthcoming fecundity. The artist’s highly-detailed drawing focuses not only on the physical appearance and clothes of the characters, but also the vegetation which provides the perfect backdrop for the scene.
The bride is sitting facing us, dressed in black and wearing a wedding garland fixed to a piece of cloth on her head. She seems to be waiting patiently whilst her husband counts out the wedding dowry. Couples are embracing and dancing to the sound of the bagpipes. With this festive representation, Pieter the Elder, and Jan Brueghel after him, both champions of rural scenes, denounce the social mores of their time: lust, drink, money and bagpipes, in effect, evoke the vices of humanity.