Arnolfini's Portrait (2)

In their book published in 1857, Crowe and Cavalcaselle were the first to suggest that the double portrait depicted Giovanni [di Arrigo] Arnolfini and his wife, based on connections to early 16th century inventories of Margaret of Austria. Four years later, James Weale published a book in which he supported this analysis and identified Giovanni's wife as Jeanne (or Giovanna) Cenami. For the next century, the majority of art historians accepted that the painting was a double portrait of Giovanni di Arrigo Arnolfini and his wife Jeanne Cenami. However, a chance discovery published in 1997 revealed that they were actually married in 1447, 13 years after the date on the painting and six years after Van Eyck's death.

It is now believed that the subjects of the portrait are either Giovanni di Arrigo or his cousin, Giovanni di Nicolao Arnolfini, and a wife of either one of them. This could be an undocumented first wife of Giovanni di Arrigo or a second wife of Giovanni di Nicolao, or, according to a recent proposal, Giovanni di Nicolao's first wife, Costanza Trenta, who may have died in childbirth by February 1433. If this is the case, the painting would be partly a memorial portrait, showing one living and one deceased person. Details such as the snuffed candle above the woman, the scenes of Christ's death on her side of the background roundel, and the man's black clothing support this interpretation. Both Giovanni di Arrigo and Giovanni di Nicolao Arnolfini were Italian merchants from Lucca, residing in Bruges since at least 1419. The man in

In 1934, Erwin Panofsky published an article arguing that the elaborate signature on the wall in the painting and other factors indicated that it was painted as a legal record of the couple's marriage, complete with witnesses and a witness signature. Although Panofsky's claim that the painting served as a kind of marriage certificate is not accepted by all art historians, his analysis of the symbolic function of the various details in the painting is widely agreed upon and has been applied to many other Early Netherlandish paintings, particularly a number of depictions of the Annunciation set in richly detailed interiors. Margaret D. Carroll has argued that the painting is a portrait of a married couple that also alludes to the husband granting legal authority to his wife. Carroll proposes that the portrait was meant to affirm Giovanni Arnolfini's good character as a merchant and aspiring member of the Burgundian court. She suggests that the painting depicts a couple, already married, now formalizing a subsequent legal arrangement, similar to a power of attorney, by which the husband "hands over" legal authority to his wife to conduct business on her own or on his behalf. Jan Baptist Bedaux, while agreeing with Panofsky that the painting is a marriage contract portrait, differs in his belief that the items in the painting do not have hidden meanings.

Craig Harbison believes that the painting cannot be fully understood until scholars accept that objects can have multiple associations. He argues that a multivalent reading of the painting, one that takes into account the secular and sexual context of the Burgundian court as well as religious and sacramental references to marriage, is necessary. Lorne Campbell, on the other hand, sees no need to find a special meaning in the painting and suggests that it was possibly made to commemorate a marriage, but not as a legal record. Margaret Koster has proposed that the painting is a memorial portrait of a wife who had already been dead for a year or so. Maximiliaan Martens believes that the painting was meant to show the prosperity and wealth of the couple depicted and may have been a gift for the Arnolfini family in Italy. Herman Colenbrander has suggested that it may depict an old German custom or have been a present from the artist to his friend. In 2016, Jean-Philippe Postel argued that the woman in the painting is a spectre, appearing to the man and asking him to pray for her soul.

The Arnolfini Portrait, painted by Jan van Eyck in 1434, is a masterpiece of art that has captivated scholars and art enthusiasts for centuries. The painting depicts a wealthy merchant and his wife, both richly dressed and surrounded by signs of opulence and luxury. The couple stand in an upstairs room, with the man near an open window and the woman near a bed. The man's raised hand and the couple's joined hands have sparked much debate among scholars, with some interpreting the gesture as an act of marital oath and others as a representation of the woman's authority to act on her husband's behalf in business matters. The painting is also notable for its use of the wet-on-wet technique, which allowed van Eyck to blend colors and create subtle variations in light and shade, as well as its highly detailed and realistic portrayal of the couple's surroundings, including a brass chandelier, a convex mirror, and various luxurious furnishings. Overall, the Arnolfini Portrait is a fascinating and complex work of art that continues to be studied and admired to this day.

As one gazes upon the painting, the Dutch style is immediately apparent. The attention to detail is extraordinary, with each brushstroke and use of color adding to the vividness of the scene. The painting is in good condition, though there are small areas of original paint loss and damage that have been retouched. Infrared technology has revealed numerous modifications in the underdrawing, particularly in the faces, the mirror, and other elements.

The couple is depicted in an upstairs room during the early summer, as indicated by the fruit on the cherry tree outside the window. The room likely served as a reception room, as it was the custom in France and Burgundy for beds in reception rooms to be used for seating. The window has six interior wooden shutters, but only the top opening has glass, filled with clear, colored pieces set in blue, red, and green stained glass.

The couple is richly dressed, with their outer garments trimmed and fully lined with fur, likely the expensive sable for the man and ermine or miniver for the woman. The man wears a black straw hat, a purple tabard (which has since faded), and a patterned doublet, likely made of silk damask. The woman's dress has elaborate dagging on the sleeves and a long train, and her blue underdress is trimmed with white fur. Both wear rings and the woman has a plain gold necklace as their only visible jewelry, but their outfits would have been extremely expensive and a sign of their wealth to contemporary viewers. The man's clothing, in particular, may be somewhat restrained, befitting their merchant status, as portraits of aristocrats often show more decorated cloth and gold chains.

The interior of the room displays other indicators of wealth, including a large and elaborate brass chandelier and an expensive Oriental carpet on the floor. The convex mirror in the back, in a wooden frame with scenes of The Passion painted behind glass, is larger than such mirrors could actually be made at the time, another subtle departure from realism by van Eyck.

The Arnolfini Portrait, painted by Jan van Eyck in 1434, is a renowned work of art that has sparked much debate and speculation among art historians. The painting depicts a wealthy couple standing in a luxurious room, surrounded by symbols of wealth and status. Some scholars believe that the painting is a record of the couple's marriage, complete with witnesses and a witness signature. Others argue that it is a portrait of a married couple that alludes to the husband granting legal authority to his wife. Still others suggest that it is a memorial portrait, depicting a wife who has already passed away. The gesture of the couple's joined hands has also been the subject of much discussion, with some interpreting it as an act of marriage oath, while others see it as a representation of the wife's legal authority. The small medallions in the frame of the convex mirror at the back of the room are thought to represent God's promise of salvation, and the mirror itself may symbolize the eye of God observing the couple's vows. The painting is also notable for its accurate depiction of non-Euclidean geometry on the convex mirror.

The painting, "The Arnolfini Portrait," by Jan van Eyck has long been a subject of debate and speculation among art historians. The painting, which depicts a couple standing in a room filled with various objects, has been interpreted in a number of different ways. Some believe it to be a portrait of a married couple, possibly Giovanni di Arrigo or Giovanni di Nicolao Arnolfini and his wife, while others argue that it is a depiction of a betrothal or even a legal record of marriage. In recent years, it has even been suggested that the woman in the painting may be deceased, making the painting a memorial portrait.

One of the key elements of the painting that has garnered attention is the elaborate signature on the back wall. Art historian Erwin Panofsky argued that this signature, along with other factors, indicated that the painting was meant to serve as a legal record of the couple's marriage. However, this theory has not been universally accepted. Other scholars have proposed that the painting is a portrait of a married couple that also alludes to the husband granting legal authority to his wife, or a representation of an old German custom in which a husband promises a gift to his bride on the morning after their wedding night.

The symbolism present in the various objects depicted in the painting has also been a source of debate. The convex mirror in the background, for example, has been interpreted as representing the eye of God, observing the vows of the couple's marriage. The dog in the foreground has been seen as a symbol of fidelity, while the green of the woman's dress has been said to represent hope and the white cap on her head has been interpreted as signifying purity or her status as married. The single candle, meanwhile, has been suggested as representing the Holy Ghost or the ever-present eye of God, or as a symbol of the woman's death, with the burnt-out candle on her side representing her passing.

The Arnolfini Portrait has a long and varied history. It was created in 1435 by Jan van Eyck and initially owned by the sitters, Giovanni Arnolfini and his wife. At some point before 1516, it came into the possession of Don Diego de Guevara, a Spanish courtier who may have known the Arnolfinis personally. He gave the portrait to Margaret of Austria, Habsburg Regent of the Netherlands, where it appeared in an inventory of her paintings in 1516. In 1530, it was inherited by Margaret's niece, Mary of Hungary, and after her death in 1558, it was inherited by Philip II of Spain. It was later seen in the Alcazar Palace in Madrid in 1599 and survived the fire that destroyed part of the Spanish royal collection. In 1794, it was moved to the Royal Palace of Madrid and in 1816 it was in London in the possession of Colonel James Hay. It was offered to the Prince Regent, later George IV, but eventually returned in 1818. It was exhibited in 1841 and purchased by the National Gallery, London in 1842, where it remains to this day.