Het Bourgondische huwelijk: Maximiliaan trouwt met Maria van Bourgondië

Het Bourgondische huwelijk: Maximiliaan trouwt met Maria van Bourgondië is a significant print created by the German master Albrecht Dürer in 1515. This intricate image, executed on paper, functions as both historical documentation and political commemoration. The subject is the crucial dynastic marriage between Maximilian I of Habsburg, later Holy Roman Emperor, and Mary of Burgundy in 1477. This union was vital for the expansion of Habsburg power, bringing the wealthy Burgundian territories under their control and fundamentally altering the European political landscape.

Dürer, a leading figure of the Northern Renaissance, often worked on a grand scale for the imperial court. This print was part of a larger propaganda effort by Maximilian I to solidify his legacy and demonstrate the legitimacy of his reign. Unlike smaller, more personal engravings, pieces focused on monumental historical events, such as Het Bourgondische huwelijk: Maximiliaan trouwt met Maria van Bourgondië, were typically large-scale works designed for public display and broad circulation across Germany and Europe.

The composition meticulously details the ceremonial aspect of the wedding, reinforcing the political weight of the event through the formality of the scene. The high quality of the line work, even in these large commemorative prints, speaks to Dürer’s technical brilliance and sophisticated understanding of the medium. This type of artwork demonstrates why the systematic production of prints became essential for circulating imperial imagery and placing historical events into the public domain of visual memory during the sixteenth century. This historically significant work is housed in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.