You might have seen this painting making the rounds on TikTok. Maybe you’ve even made a video responding to it. A young woman in a Victorian wedding dress is staring down the viewer with disdain in her eyes.
Three women surround her, seemingly trying to placate her. Nonetheless, the direct and unrepentant gaze of the bride grips its viewer with the intensity of her stare. On TikTok, the painting is accompanied by thundering classical music, reminiscent of the climax of a battle – Verdi’s Requiem Dies Irae.
The woman’s gaze has been heralded as an iconic depiction of feminine rage. Women on Tiktok have taken to adding their own text to the painting to capture the feeling being depicted.
