Jan van Eyck, "Portrait of the Arnolfini"

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

"Portrait of the Arnolfinis" is a very interesting painting. From one small painting made by Jan van Eyck, you can learn a lot of interesting things. This painter could entice with his skill not only an artist, but also a philosopher-thinker.

"Portrait of the Arnolfini" is considered one of the most complex works presented in the painting of the Northern Renaissance by the Western school. There is a lot of mystery in this picture. We present you the work of van Eyck "Portrait of the Arnolfinis". You will find a description of it in this article. But first, let's say a few words about the artist who created this masterpiece.

A little about Jan van Eyck

His name is Jan van Eyck (years of life - 1385 (presumably) - 1441). This painter represents the period of the early Renaissance. Jan van Eyck is a portrait master who completed over 100 different compositions on religious subjects. He was one of the first artists to use oil paints in his work. Below is a portrait of an unknown. It was written in 1433. Presumably this is a self-portrait. The painting is stored in the London National Gallery.

We don't know Jan van Eyck's exact date of birth. It is known that he was born in the city of Maaseik, in the Northern Netherlands. The future master studied with Hubert, the elder brother, with whom he worked together until 1426. He began his career at the court of the counts in The Hague. Since 1425, Jan van Eyck has been the courtier and painter of Philip III the Good, Duke of Burgundy. He appreciated the talent of this painter and generously paid for his work.

Van Eyck is considered to have invented oil paints, although he only improved them. However, it was after him that the oil gained universal recognition, and this technique became traditional for the Netherlands. She came from there to France and Germany, and then to Italy.

Now let's return to the painting "Portrait of the Arnolfini", which glorified the artist and still causes controversy. It is now, like the portrait of an unknown person, in London, in the National Gallery.

Painting name

Its name was initially unknown, only a hundred years later we recognized it thanks to one inventory book. It sounded like this: "A large portrait of Hernoult le Fin in a room with his wife." It is known that Hernoult le Fin is the French form of the Arnolfini (Italian) surname. Its bearers are a large banking and merchant family that had a branch in Bruges at that time.

Who is in the picture?

It was consideredfor a long time that the canvas depicts Giovanni Arolfini with his wife named Giovanna Chenami. However, it was established in 1997 that the couple only married in 1447, that is, 13 years after the painting appeared, and 6 years after the death of the artist van Eyck.

It is believed today that this picture depicts Arnolfini with his former wife, or his cousin with his wife. This brother was an Italian merchant from Lucca. He lived from 1419 in Bruges. Van Eyck painted his portrait, which suggests that this man was a friend of the artist.

But we cannot say for sure who exactly is represented in the van Eyck painting. Many joke about this about what is depicted in the painting "Portrait of the Arnolfini couple" Putin (Arnolfini really has an outward resemblance to him).

However, let's put the jokes aside and continue the description of this canvas.

Canvas Creation Time

The painting "Portrait of the Arnolfini" was painted in Bruges in 1434. At that time, this city was a major trading center through which all of Northern Europe traded. Furs and wood were brought here from Scandinavia and Russia, spices, carpets, silk were brought from the East through Venice and Genoa, and oranges, figs, lemons were brought from Portugal and Spain. The city of Bruges was a rich place.

Woman's clothing

The Arnolfini couple depicted in the picture were rich. This is noticeable especially inclothes. The wife is depicted in a dress adorned with ermine fur. It has a long train that someone should have carried while walking. In such a dress, it was possible to move around only with a special skill that was acquired in aristocratic circles.

Clothes the man in the van Eyck painting

The husband is depicted in a mantle, which is trimmed, and possibly lined, with sable or mink, with a slit on the sides, which allowed him to freely act and move. The wooden shoes show that this man does not belong to the aristocracy. In order not to get dirty in the mud on the street, the gentlemen rode in a stretcher or on horseback.

Burgundy fashion

In Europe at that time there was a Burgundian fashion followed by the Arnolfini couple. This was due to the strong cultural and political influence of the Duchy of Burgundy. Not only women's, but also men's clothing at the Burgundian court was extravagant. Cylinder hats and huge turbans were worn by men. The groom's hands, like the bride's, are well-groomed and white. His narrow shoulders indicate that he achieved a position in society by no means by physical strength.

Room Furnishings

The foreign merchant depicted on the canvas lived in aristocratic luxury in Bruges. He had a mirror, a chandelier, oriental rugs. The upper part of the window in the house is glazed, and there are expensive oranges on the table.

Nevertheless, van Eyck ("Portrait of the Arnolfini") has depicted a narrow, city-like room. The setting is dominated by the bed, as is usual in all urban chambers. The curtain went up on her during the day, andreceived guests in the same room, sitting on the bed. It descended at night, and a "room within a room" appeared - a closed space.

Details of the interior of the room

Depicting the interior, van Eyck paints it as a bridal chamber. It adds a lot of hidden meanings thanks to the realistic depiction of objects in the room in the painting "Portrait of the Arnolfinis". The symbols depicted on it are numerous.

So, for example, the symbol of the all-seeing eye of God is a round mirror that reflects the figures of two people who are not visible to the viewer, but present in the room.

Oranges on the windowsill and low table hint at heavenly bliss. The fall is symbolized by an apple. Loy alty means a small dog. Shoes are a symbol of love and devotion of spouses. The rosary is a symbol of piety, and the brush is a sign of purity.

One candle in the chandelier, lit during the day, symbolizes the mystical presence of the Holy Spirit at the ceremony. An inscription is read on the wall, which is intentionally highlighted by the artist: "Jan van Eyck was here." Thus, it is explained that this painter was in the role of a witness in the ancient Dutch custom of betrothal not in the church, but at home.

This painting is a visual proof of the wedding ceremony. In addition, we can say that it is a marriage certificate. After all, the signature on the far wall documents the presence of a witness, in the role of whichpainter. This painting is one of the first in art, signed by the author.

Some details of the female image

The bride is wearing a festive, luxurious dress on the canvas. Only from the middle of the 19th century did a white wedding dress come into fashion. Her rounded belly, according to some researchers, is not a sign of pregnancy. He, along with a small chest, highly constricted, corresponds to the idea of \u200b\u200bthe standard of beauty that existed at that time (in the late Gothic era).

The amount of matter that this woman is wearing also corresponds to the fashion that prevailed at that time. This is just a ritual gesture, according to the researchers. It was intended, in accordance with the attitude towards marriage and the family, to denote fertility. After all, the painting "Portrait of the Arnolfini" was painted by the artist on the occasion of the wedding of the couple represented on it. However, the position of the woman's hand on the canvas suggests the possibility of her pregnancy, although it can be assumed that with this gesture she only lifted the hem of her dress.

Marriage of the left hand

It cannot be ruled out that in the case of Arnolfini a marriage contract was necessary, since it is obvious that the picture is about the so-called "marriage of the left hand." We see on the canvas that the groom holds the bride's hand with his left, and not with his right, according to the requirement of custom. Such marriages were concluded between spouses who were unequal in social status, and were practiced until the middle of the 19th century.

A woman usually came from a lower class. Hershould have renounced inheritance rights for their offspring and for themselves. In return, the woman received a certain amount after the death of her husband. The marriage contract, as a rule, was issued on the morning following the wedding. Therefore, the marriage began to be called morganic (from the German word "morgen", meaning "morning").