The Arnolfini Portrait
The Arnolfini Portrait (
full title: Portrait of Giovanni Arnolfini and his Wife) is a
1434 painting by
Jan van Eyck.
This painting is a
portrait of
Giovanni di Nicolao Arnolfini and his wife Giovanna Cenami in a Flemish bedchamber. It is one of the most original and complex paintings in
Western art history. Currently part of the collection of the
National Gallery in
London (which acquired it in
1842), van Eyck executed the work with
oil on
oak panel in 1434.
There is considerable debate regarding whether or not the portrait is intended as a record of the marriage of the two primary figures. For instance, "Jan van Eyck's 'Arnolfini' Portrait", an article by
Erwin Panofsky published in
1934 in the
Burlington Magazine, argued that it was painted as a legal document witnessing a marriage. Art historian Edwin Hall has challenged Panofsky's idea that this painting is a marriage and instead feels that it is a betrothal.
*The placement of the two figures suggests conventional
gender roles â€" the woman stands near the bed and well into the room, symbolic of her role as the caretaker, whereas the man stands near the open window, symbolic of the outside world. Giovanni looks directly out at the viewer, his wife gazes obediently at her husband.
*The oranges on the chest below the window may refer to fertility and symbolize the purity and innocence that reigned in the Garden of Eden before the Fall of Man. They are also a token of prosperity, since these fruits could be afforded only by the wealthy few.
*The cast-aside clogs are possibly a gesture of respect for the wedding ceremony and also indicate that this event is taking place on holy ground. Husbands traditionally presented brides with clogs.
*The little dog symbolizes fidelity.
*The green of the woman's dress symbolises hope, possibly the hope of becoming a mother and her white cap signifies purity.
*Behind the pair, the curtains of the marriage bed have been opened, depicting that the couple have been visited and blessed by the Trinity. The red curtains allude to the physical act of love, the carnal union of the married couple.
*The contrast between red and green, which appear side by side in the painting, suggest the coming together of opposites.
*The single candle in the left rear holder of the ornate seven-branched chandelier, is possibly the candle that the bride gave to the groom. This was a traditional Flemish marriage custom. Oddly lit in broad daylight, the candle alludes to the ever-present light of God.
*On the bedpost is a tiny ornament of the statue of Saint Margaret, patron saint of childbirth, and from that hangs a brush symbolic of domestic care. Furthermore, the brush and the rosary (a popular wedding gift) appearing together on either side of the mirror may also allude to the dual Christian injunctions
ora et labora (pray and work).
|
"Johannes de eyck fuit hic 1434". |
*The inscription above the mirror announces that
Johannes de Eyck fuit hic (Jan van Eyck was here), that he was there to capture the wedding. The artist signature is lettered in flourished script normally used for legal documents. The picture's purpose, then, seems to have been to record and sanctify this marriage and thus acting as a marriage certificate.
*The small medallions set into the mirror frame show tiny scenes from the Passion of Christ and represent God's promise of salvation for the figures reflected on the mirror's convex surface, which in turn, represent the eye of the Christian God observing the vows of the wedding.
*A spotless mirror was itself an established symbol of Mary, referring to the Holy Virgin's immaculate conception and purity.
|
Detail of the convex mirror. |
The
convex mirror at the back of the room reflects two figures in the doorway. One may be the painter himself. Some scholars believe that the mirror was painted like this to reflect the presence of two other people in the room, proving that the requisite number of witnesses were present to make the wedding legal. The mirror itself is a device that, according to a theory set forth by
David Hockney, allowed the forms to be projected onto the surface of the painting, leaving the painter to simply match and fill in the colors. That technique migrated gradually to Italy and most of Europe and may be the reason for the photographic style of painting we see in the northern Renaissance and other periods of art. Eventually this phenomenon led to the invention of photography.
By applying layer after layer of translucent thin glazes, van Eyck created a painting with an almost reflective surface. The intense glowing colours also help to highlight the realism and underscore the material wealth and opulence of Arnolfini's world. He took advantage of the longer drying time (than compared to tempera) of the oil medium to blend colours and to achieve subtle variations in light and shade so as to heighten the illusion of three-dimensional forms. He carefully distinguished textures and manages to capture surface appearance precisely. Also, he rendered effects of both direct and diffused light by depicting the light from the window on the left reflecting off various surfaces.
*In
Russia, the portrait has become notorious on account of Arnolfini's physical resemblance to
President Putin.
*The portrait is satirized in the opening sequence of the 2005 TV series
Desperate Housewives, with Giovanni eating a banana, and tossing it away for Giovanna to sweep up.
*The painting appeared in the film
V for Vendetta as a censored piece of art. However, it should be noted that the size of the painting in the film is different from the size of the actual painting hanging in the National Gallery of London. The actual painting is only 81.8 x 59.7 cm. (32 1/4 x 23 1/2 in)
*Although many modern viewers mistakenly assume Giovanna is pregnant, art historians familiar with 15th century painting point out the numerous paintings of Saints in similar apparel and believe that an excessive amount of fabric was fashionable for women's dresses at the time. (Hall, Edwin. The Arnolfini Bethrothal. 1994. p. 105-6.)
*
The Arnolfini Portrait on the National Gallery website*
Mystery of the Marriage*
Erwin Panofsky and The Arnolfini Portrait*
The Arnolfini double portrait: a simple solution - Critical Essay*
Portraits of a MarriagePictures
*
Larger picture: The Arnolfini Portrait*
Picture: Detail of the mirror*
Picture: Detail of the statue of Saint Margaret and the artist's signature*
Picture: Detail of the chandelier
