The Marriage of the Virgin, 1515-20 (oil on panel)

Joseph and Mary exchange their vows in a ceremony witnessed by guests wearing extravagant, almost whimsical costumes. Details of Mary's life were drawn from apocryphal legends or stories not included in the accepted books of the Bible. Her marriage to Joseph became a popular subject for visual representation after the 13th century. Jan Mertens the Younger followed tradition in using architecture to suggest religious change. The Temple of Jerusalem, depicted as a circular building in the background, denotes the age before Christ, while the cathedral in the foreground signifies the new Christian era.