Jan Van Eyck "Arnolfini Wedding"

266 Words2 Pages
Jan van Eyck Arnolfini Portrait Summary “Jan van Eyck” by Erwin Panofsky is an essay that confirms the actual meaning behind Eyck’s mysterious double portrait, “Arnolfini Wedding”. Symbolic significance behind objects in the painting reveal a clear understanding of what is occurring in the scene. Signs such as a single lit candle, Arnolfini’s gesture of affirmation, and clues hidden around the mirror in the background, all suggest that this ambiguous piece of art is in fact transparent when seen through an art history perspective. Panofsky explains that this painting was essentially a marriage certificate, including all of the necessary requirements for a legitimate wedding- an oath and two witnesses. Giovanni Arnolfini’s body language translates into a sign of affirmation in one hand, and a commitment to his bride in the other. The spotless convex mirror behind them reflects two figures, one being Jan van Eyck himself. This shows that two witnesses were present during Arnolfini’s secluded ceremony. Eyck’s flourish signature above the mirror reads, “Jan van Eyck was here”, which was a script style usually used in legal documents. A number of other symbols are also hidden around the room such as the dog, fruit, prayer beads, mirror, and bedroom setting. Eyck’s style differs greatly from recently studied Giotto’s work. Giotto’s style is essentially Gothic; he used gilded halos, fresco, and lacked the sharp perspective seen in Renaissance paintings. Eyck enjoyed using oils, and he focused on the realistic portrayal of people and objects. Both artists were extremely talented during their time, but Giotto could not overcome Jan van Eyck’s technique and attention to
Open Document