"Portrait of the Arnolfini couple" is a very interesting canvas. From one small painting by Jan van Eyck, you can learn a lot of interesting things. This painter could entice with the skill of not only the artist, but also the philosopher-thinker.
"Portrait of the Arnolfini couple" is considered one of the most complex works presented in the painting of the Northern Renaissance by a Western school. There are a lot of mysteries in this picture. We present to you the work of van Eyck "Portrait of the Arnolfini couple". 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 has performed more than 100 different compositions on religious subjects. This was one of the first artists who used oil paints in his work. Below is a portrait of an unknown. It was written in 1433. This is supposedly a self portrait. The painting is stored in the London National Gallery.
We do not know the exact date of birth of Jan van Eyck. It is known that he was born in the city of Maaseik, in the Northern Netherlands. The future master studied under Hubert, an older brother, with whom he worked together until 1426. He began his work at the court of the counts in The Hague. Since 1425, Jan van Eyck has been a courtier and artist of Philip III the Good, Duke of Burgundy. He appreciated the talent of this painter and paid generously for his work.
It is believed that van Eyck invented oil paints, although he only improved them. However, it was after him that the oil was universally recognized, and this technique has become traditional for the Netherlands. She came from there to France and Germany, and then to Italy.
Let us return to the painting "Portrait of the Arnolfini couple", which glorified the artist and is still controversial. He is now, like the portrait of the unknown, in London, at the National Gallery.
The name of the picture
Its name was initially unknown, only after a hundred years we learned 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 surname Arnolfini (Italian). Its carriers are a large banking and merchant family, which had a branch in Bruges at that time.
Who is the picture?
It was believed for a long time that the painting 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 picture 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 since 1419 in Bruges. Van Eyck painted his portrait, which allows us to assume that this man was a friend of the artist.
But we can’t say exactly who exactly is represented in the van Eyck painting. Many joke about this about the fact that Putin is depicted in the painting "Portrait of the Arnolfini Couple" (Arnolfini really has an external resemblance to him).
However, we put aside the jokes and continue the description of this canvas.
Web creation time
The painting "Portrait of the Arnolfini couple" was painted was in Bruges in 1434. At that time, this city was a major trading center through which all of Northern Europe traded. Furs and woods were brought here from Scandinavia and Russia, spices, carpets, silk were brought from Venice through the Genoa, and oranges, figs, lemons from Portugal and Spain. A rich place was the city of Bruges.
Woman clothes
The couple Arnolfini depicted in the picture was rich. This is noticeable especially in clothing. The wife is depicted in a dress decorated with ermine fur. It has a long train that someone should have carried while walking. In such a dress it was possible to move only with a special skill, which was acquired in aristocratic circles.
The clothes of a man in a van Eyck picture
The husband is depicted in a mantle that is trimmed, and possibly knocked out, by sable or mink, with a cut on the sides, which allowed him to act freely and move. The wooden shoes show that this man does not belong to the aristocracy. In order not to get dirty in the dirt on the street, gentlemen rode on a stretcher or on horseback.
Burgundy fashion
In Europe at that time there was a Burgundian fashion, which was followed by the couple Arnolfini. 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 Burgundy court was extravagant. Huge cylindrical hats and 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 physical strength.
Room furnishings
The foreign merchant depicted on the canvas lived in aristocratic luxury in Bruges. He had a mirror, a chandelier, oriental carpets. The upper part of the window in the house is glazed, and expensive oranges are on the table.
Nevertheless, a narrow urban style depicted a room by van Eyck ("Portrait of the Arnolfini couple"). The atmosphere is dominated by the bed, as is usual in all urban chambers. The curtain rose on it during the day, and received guests in the same room, sitting on the bed. It descended at night, and there was a "room in a room" - an enclosed space.
Room Interior Details
Portraying the interior, van Eyck paints it as a wedding chamber. It adds a lot of hidden meanings thanks to the realistic depiction of objects in the room in the painting “Portrait of the Arnolfini Couple”. The symbols depicted on it are numerous.
So, for example, the symbol of the all-seeing eye of God is a round mirror, which reflects the figures of two people who are not visible to the viewer, but present in the room.
The oranges on the windowsill and low table allude to heavenly bliss. The fall symbolizes the apple. Fidelity 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 by day, symbolizes the mystical presence at the ceremony of the Holy Spirit. 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 under the old Dutch custom to engage in betrothal not at church, but at home.
This picture is a visual proof of the wedding ceremony. In addition, we can say that she is a marriage certificate. After all, the signature on the far wall documents the presence of a witness, in the role of which the artist acts. This painting is one of the first in art, signed by the author.
Some details of the female image
In a festive, luxurious dress, the bride is dressed on the canvas. Only from the mid-19th century a white wedding dress came into fashion. Her rounded belly, according to some researchers, is not a sign of pregnancy. He, together with a small chest, highly tightened, corresponds to the idea of a standard of beauty that existed at that time (in the era of late Gothic).
The amount of matter that is worn on this woman also corresponds to the prevailing fashion at that time. This is only a ritual gesture, according to researchers. It was intended, in accordance with the attitude to marriage and family, to indicate fertility. After all, the painting "Portrait of the Arnolfini couple" was painted by the artist on the occasion of the wedding of the couple presented on it. However, the position of the woman’s hand on the canvas allows her to become pregnant, although it can be assumed that with this gesture she just raised the hem of her dress.
Left hand marriage
It cannot be ruled out that in the case of Arnolfini, a prenuptial contract was necessary , since it is obvious that the picture in question refers to the so-called “left-hand marriage”. We see on the canvas that the groom holds the bride’s hand with his left, and not his right, according to the requirement of custom. Such marriages were concluded between spouses, unequal in social status, and practiced until the mid-19th century.
The woman usually came from a lower class. She should have given up inheritance rights for her offspring and for herself. In return, the woman received a certain amount after the death of her spouse. As a rule, a marriage contract was issued on the morning following the wedding. Therefore, the marriage began to be called organic (from the German word "morgen", meaning "morning").