Robing of the Bride by Max Ernst (Interpretation and Analysis)

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Robing of the Bride
Source: Guggenheim Museum
Among Surrealists, it is perhaps German-born painter Max Ernst who lived one of the most eventful, dramatic, and eccentric lives (an extraordinary feat when you consider his competition). Married four times, holding citizenship in three different countries, and escaping twice from imprisonment during World War II before he managed to flee Europe, Ernst’s life was anything but boring.

His art is equally varied, reflecting his intellectual development, shifting influences, and ever-shifting geographical location. However, one of his strangest and most interesting paintings is entitled Robing of the Bride.

As the title suggests, the painting depicts a marriage ceremony. However, it is a stranger, more abstract, Surrealist interpretation of a traditional wedding. Here, we see the bride dressed in a strange feathered cape and a bird headdress, seemingly prepared for her wedding. Next to her, a bird-human hybrid figure guards the bride with a spear. These bird-like figures are common in Ernst’s work, representing Ernst’s bird alter-ego Loplop, a character that popped up frequently in his art and writings.

Two other female figures also stand to the right of the bride. According to my research, they represent different stages of the marriage, from the virginal bride to the married woman and finally the mother, her green skin indicative of fecundity. In this manner, the painting travels through the life of the bride, a symbol for the wider lifecycle that all humans pass through.

While this metaphor is pronounced throughout the painting, it is only the surface-level interpretation of the piece. Some art historians believe that the bride in this painting is a reference to Ernst’s lover Leonora Carrington, who was also a Surrealist painter. On a deeper level, Ernst uses Robing of the Bride to explore the power of ritual and the sway it holds over human life. Robing of the Bride stripes the wedding ceremony of its modern trappings and distractions and brings the ritual to a timeless, almost primitive state. The painting expresses something pure and raw, using the Surrealist style to access a deep level of psychological truth.

Disclaimer: I’m not an art historian or an expert on this topic. The above is my opinion, based on my interpretation of my foreknowledge of art and history. If I’ve done any additional research, I’ll note it above.

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