The Most Tragic Painting in Art History Has a Secret

Look behind the bride. The young man with folded arms, watching her instead of the priest, is the painter himself, or so almost everyone says. So whose wedding is this? Vasily Pukirev's Unequal Marriage (1862) made Russia argue about rich old men and young brides. A Moscow family said it was their story, but the groom in their real wedding was only 37. Then in 2002 the Tretyakov Gallery found a pencil drawing that points to someone else. Did you spot the man behind the bride before I pointed him out? 0:00 The Mystery Behind the Unequal Marriage 2:32 The Artist Behind the Canvas 4:05 A Heartbreak Caught in Paint 7:37 The Bride Forty-Four Years Later #UnequalMarriage #Pukirev #ArtHistory #Painting