Arnolfini Portrait
7:00 AM |
| Jan van Eyck, Arnolfini Portrait, 1434 |
While
one may initially react to Jan van Eyck’s Arnolfini
Portrait with, “What is Vladimir Putin doing in a fifteenth-century
painting,” the marvel of this work starts beneath the surface – literally.
Through infrared reflectography, art historians revealed the steps of van Eyck’s
creative process and found that he changed his original design as he worked in
order to create a better balance and to fit his mental image. Van Eyck did not
include elements such as the dog and chair in his original sketch. Some items
also changed as the painting progressed, such as the length of Arnolfini’s fur
robe.
The
work offers a view into the wedding of Giovanni Arnolfini, a Tuscan merchant.
Van Eyck creates a balanced, symmetrical picture using the mirror and
chandelier in the middle and a switch from a brown color palette to one full of
color. The joining of hands by the two subjects has the same effect as it draws
the eye to the painting’s center. This unites the two sides of the work and symbolizes
the union of Arnolfini and his bride. According to Michael Baxandall’s analysis
of body language in art, the position of Arnolfini’s other hand represents demonstration.
The
most striking aspect of Arnolfini
Portrait lies in its detail. The robes and headwear worn by Arnolfini and
his wife embody van Eyck’s artistic talent, especially through drapery and
texture. The female subject has gentleness in her disposition that adds another
level of emotion and humanity to the work. An open window brings light and
openness into the room to guide them in their marriage.
The
most impressive part of the painting, the mirror on the back wall shows the
room from a different perspective with new subjects. Seeing that the entire canvas
is only 32 inches by 23 inches, the immense detail in this mirror only grows
more remarkable.
Jan
van Eyck signed many of his works, ordinarily in the form of an inscription on
the frame. The content and placement of these were strategically planned to show
that each painting held specific meaning to its creator. These signatures
depended on the painting and, in addition to being creative, usually provided a
date of completion and the subject’s name and age. They allow modern observers
to understand the emotion behind each work and put it within the context of art
at that time and in that region.
In
Arnolfini Portrait, van Eyck
obviously meant for his signature to be a focal point, seeing that he placed it
in middle of the picture between the two newlyweds. It translates to “Jan van
Eyck was here,” which seems comical at first but shows that he put himself and
his imagination into this painting – that he created it from nothing and left
his presence on the canvas.
0 comments