Arnolfini Portrait Flashcards
subject?
The Italian silk merchant Giovanni Arnolfini and his wife in their home in Bruges.
Reception room?
The couple are shown in a room with a chest and a bed in it during early summer as indicated by the fruit on thecherry treeoutside the window. The imported oranges and oriental carpet are signs of wealth.
Northern Renaissance style?
Demonstrates the influence of the Northern Renaissance in the minute attention to detail, focus on luxurious fabrics, heightened realism (as opposed to the idealised style of the Italian Renaissance) and symbolism.
Realism?
Thin glazes of paint enables a complex handling of light and depth. It is thought that Van Eyck used a magnifying glass or a camera obscura to paint the most detailed aspects of the composition such as the convex mirror (decorated with scenes of the passion) and the chandelier.
Wife?
Wearing brighter colours (suggesting she is an object to be admired). Her dress is lined with fur and her high forehead suggests her noble birth. Her averted gaze and covered head show her modesty and virtue. Her features are more idealised and conform to female beauty standards of the time.
Dog?
A lap dog and a symbol of wealth. Positioned by the woman’s feet to show her loyalty to her husband.
Symbolism?
Single candle in the chandelier suggests the presence of God in their marriage.
Artist’s portrait and signature?
The artist’s reflection is depicted in the convex mirror. The artist has also signed the work “Jan Van Eyck was here” on the back wall. An early example of an artist signing their work – perhaps to attract other commissions.
Rising merchant class in Flanders?
Towns and ports grew in size and number as it became the major center for trade in northern Europe. The Flemish towns therefore functioned as a crucible for both the highly specialized artists and wealthy merchant class patrons.
Patronage during the Northern Renaissance?
In Italy, commissions usually came from wealthy families, the Catholic church, or city guilds who competed with eachother for prestige and power. In Northern Renaissance towns, patronage tended to be for more secular or private devotional purposes for members of the mercantile class.
Arnolfini (patron) ?
Richly dressed in darker colours suggesting his merchant status. His tabard is trimmed with fur and his doublet is made of patterned silk. His features are more individualised than his wife’s and he is described as the “least Italian looking man in art”. He directs his gaze at the viewer and raises one hand in a gesture of male authority.
Jan Van Eyck?
One of the Flemish Primitives and known as the ‘Father of Oil Paint’ due to his innovative use of the material. Van Eyck creates a world within the painting as substantial and real asthe world outside the painting.
Oil paint?
One of the Flemish Primitives and known as the ‘Father of Oil Paint’ due to his innovative use of the material. Van Eyck creates a world within the painting as substantial and real asthe world outside the painting.
Technique?
Applied in thin, transparent glazes to create an enamel-like surface.
Reputation of Northern Renaissance art (Vasari)
Vasari’s Lives of the Artists established a bias towards Italian Renaissance art, however it is now more widely accepted that Northern artists played an equally important role in the artistic developments that took place across Europe in the 14th and 15th c, most notably seen here in van Eyck’s emphasis on naturalism and innovative use of oil paint.
