The Wedding of Mopsus and Nisa

About this work

This engraving shows a wild forest wedding scene with odd, half-naked figures. A woman in a wide hat holds a pot, while a man with curly hair and a fur coat plays a violin. Others dance or stumble around a rocky clearing, and a tower looms in the background. The trees are full of tiny houses and strange symbols. The title hints this isn’t a real wedding—it’s a story with hidden meaning. The Latin text below reads like a riddle: *"Mopso Nisa datur, quid non speremus amantes?"* (What shouldn’t lovers hope for, when Mopsus gives Nisa?) Next, look up engraving to see how artists like this carved fine lines into metal.