The Arnolfini Portrait depicts a man and a woman, generally assumed to be the Arnolfinis, in what appears to be a domestic bedroom. Both are well dressed, as opposed to wearing the garb of servants or peasants, and are holding hands. The painting is of a generally symmetrical composition with the man and woman balancing each other, standing on either side of a small circular mirror.
Directly above it is the signature of Jan van Eyck. The painting itself is quite small (only 82.2 x 60 cm) and is in portrait form. Despite its size it has remarkably fine details in the various objects situated around the room.
The mirror and prayer beads play an important part in the composition and are clearly significant given the central location. The meaning behind the symbology of the mirror is as varied as the interpretations of the painting itself. The beads and images of the Passion are clearly symbols of Christianity, with the beads reflecting a sequence of prayers to the Virgin Mary and the mirror depicting images of the passion; the suffering and death of Christ.
Directly above it is the signature of Jan van Eyck. The painting itself is quite small (only 82.2 x 60 cm) and is in portrait form. Despite its size it has remarkably fine details in the various objects situated around the room.
WHAT CAN WE SEE IN THE PAINTING?
It´s a portrait of a couple.Giovanni and Giovanna Arnolfini look at each other while holding hands. Both of them are Italian, but they live in Bruges,Flanders (Belgium),far away from their home country. It is in Bruges where they commissioned this painting in the XVth century.
Let´s look at this painting in detail:
THEY HAVE DOT A DOG. The dog is standing between them. It is calm like his owners. It is next to the wife, probably because it was used to spending a lot of time with her.Lap dogs were popular companions with the ladies of the court and as such could have been included as a status symbol. However, while dogs were commonly representative of carnality, as the dog is clearly placed below her feet in this composition, it could be a symbol of marital fidelity and fertility potentially strengthening the idea that the painting is a depiction, if not a document of, a marriage.
IS THE WOMAN PREGNANT?
Probably not. The painter represented the woman with a round belly because it was the fashion at that time. Women even put a small cushion underneath their dresses to get the look.
THEY ARE WEARING WINTER CLOTHES.
It was cold in Brugues in the winter. The man is wearing a hat, so he has just returned home or is about to leave.The coats were made of velvet, a material only few people could afford.
THERE ARE SHOES ON THE FLOOR.
The clogs that appear on the left side corner belong to Mr. Giovnni. People at this time used to wear clogs on the shoes to prevent them from getting dirty with the mud in the streets. The red shoes at the back are Mrs. Arnolfini´s. They are the equivalent to our slippers. They add a sense of familiarity to the painting.
WHERE ARE THEY?
Although we can see a big, red bed , this is not their bedroom. This type of furniture was used to decorate rooms, but nobody slept on that bed. This is probably the room where they met visitors.
THERE IS SOME FRUIT ON THE WINDOW SILL.
They give a sense of warmth to the darkest area of the painting. Oranges, which came from Spain,were very expensive. They were used not only to be eaten but also to perfume the house. The apple, on the other hand, is a symbol of Paradise. It represents the fruit from the tree of Knowledge.
THERE IS A MIRROR ON THE BACK WALL.
It is a convex mirror that reflects the whole room.
It depicts two additional figures’, one of which is believed to be van Eyck himself, surrounded by a frame that contains ten spherical glasses representing the various scenes from the Passion of Christ. Next to the mirror is a string of prayer-beads or rosary.The mirror and prayer beads play an important part in the composition and are clearly significant given the central location. The meaning behind the symbology of the mirror is as varied as the interpretations of the painting itself. The beads and images of the Passion are clearly symbols of Christianity, with the beads reflecting a sequence of prayers to the Virgin Mary and the mirror depicting images of the passion; the suffering and death of Christ.
While it is agreed that the mirror and beads are religious icons, the purpose of the depiction is not clear. Some believe the portrait is designed as an aid to business, that the mirror and prayer-beads show general good Christian piety to prove honesty in business, as deceitful business dealings were difficult to fight in court. Thus it was important to show ‘good faith’, a term which has remained in the modern vernacular.
This mirror has been the inspiration of many others in the history of art. Probably the most famous one was in "Las Meninas" by Velazquez. However, it is unlikely that Velazquez had seen this painting.
The idea of the mirror reflecting figures we don´t actually see has been used once and again throughout the centuries. We can even buy the Arnolfini´s mirror in our days. Here you have one I saw in a shop in Venice. Mind you, it was really expensive!
WHAT CAN WE SEE ABOVE THE MIRROR?
The painter wrote his name in big letters on the rear wall. He wrote in Latin, because it was the language of culture.He said: "Johannes de eyck fuit hic 1434" which means " Jan Van Eyck was here,1434". He was so proud of his work he wanted everyone to know he was the author, but besides, he wanted everybody to know he was physically in the portrait- reflected in the mirror!
WHY IS THIS PORTRAIT SO SPECIAL?
It is a unique painting. In the XVth century, most of the paintings were religious. This was the first time two common people were portrayed of entire body. They hired a painter to show the world they were successful and rich. This is not new for us now, but this was the first time something like that happened. Even nowadays, only wealthy people have their portraits made. If we could transfer this couple to our present life, they would appear like this,
The Arnolfini Marriage has inspired many other painters and artists. You can see its influence on the following works
So, if you ever go to London, don´t forget to go to the National Gallery and see this small, beautiful oil on oak panel. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I do!
