Formal Analysis of Double Portrait of Giovanni Arnolfini and His Wife

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Painted in 1432 by Flemish artist Jan van Eyck, the Double Portrait was done in oil vertically on an oak panel measuring approximately 33 inches high by 23 inches wide. It depicts the scene in which Giovanni Arnolfini and his wife are being married in a small room, presumably the bedroom of the couple. Items accompanying the couple in the painting include a dog, two pairs of sandals, a throne, peaches sitting on a desk beneath a window sill, a finely draped bed, a chandelier, and, notably, a mirror reflecting the painted scene along with the man marrying the couple, whose point of view is that through which the outside observer of the painting is seeing the scene. Above the mirror inscribed on the wall are the words “Johannes de eyck fuit hic 1434”, or Jan van Eyck was here in 1434. A combination of very fine, sharp lines and softer lines help emphasize the differences between the animate objects depicted versus the inanimate. There is an overall theme of vertical lines, seen in the dress of both characters, the drapery in the background to the right, the side view on the window, elements of the chandelier, and a number of wall ornaments on the far back wall on either side of the mirror. The majority of the painting is made up of dark, warm colors, excluding the dress worn by the wife, which is an avocado green with periwinkle accents. The lighting is dim, and while the couple (being the intended focal point) are the lightest in color, there is still a considerable amount of light shining onto the background through the window. The darkest part of the painting is actually the left foreground – uncharacteristic of most paintings from this time period. There is an impressive range of textures, from sharp and clean shown on the chandelier, which achieves a very realistic metallic effect, to soft and flowing, shown in the various fabrics around the room. Observers

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