“The Arnolfini Portrait”
For today, a masterpiece…
“The Arnolfini Portrait” is a gorgeous oil on oak portrait painting by the Flemish artist, Jan van Eyck, from 1434. This iconic painting goes by a number of names, including “The Arnolfini Wedding”, “The Arnolfini Marriage”, “The Arnolfini Double Portrait”, and “The Portrait of Giovanni Arnolfini and his Wife”.
This painting is considered a masterpiece in western art history due to a variety of factors. For example, Van Eyck uses a unique orthogonal perspective, rich colors, and enlivens the piece with many rich details. Notice the convex mirror painted in the background that reflects the back of the couple, as well as several other people witnessing the wedding. The dog in the foreground, the clogs on the floor on the left, the red shoes on the floor in the back, the intricate design on the rug on the floor, the bed in the back right, the chandelier above their heads, and the rich and colorful dress of the couple are all elements that enrich the painting.
This is believed to be a double portrait of the wealthy Italian merchant, Giovanni di Nicolao Arnolfini, with his wife. The young couple are depicted inside their home in Bruges, Belgium, in what was then Flanders. Van Eyck had just moved to Bruges in 1429 and would live and work there the rest of his life.
Though many modern viewers have interpreted the bride to be pregnant, scholars have pointed out that this style of dress was popular at the time as it implied virtue and fertility. The dress in conjunction with the hand on the stomach may be confusing to those who view it through a modern lens.
Van Eyck painted with very thin layers of oil paint; a technique known as wet on wet. This yielded a depth of translucent thin color layers that appear to glow from within when shown in the proper light. He worked in the International Gothic style, though during his career, his art advanced beyond that style.
Art historians believe this to be one of the very first paintings depicting common people in an interior scene, such as their home. On the wall above the mirror, van Eyck wrote “Johannes de eyck fuit hic 1434 (Jan van Eyck was here. 1434)”. The signature on the back wall has led historians to interpret this as a kind of record of a marriage contract, showing that the marriage took place and had a witness present. Also, Van Eyck was also one of the first artists to sign his name on his art.
“The Arnolfini Portrait” is currently on display at the National Gallery in London, England.
For more on Jan van Eyck, please visit his short biography here.
You can find more artists to learn about here.
