The Arnolfini Double Portrait Analysis

942 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The arnolfini portrait comparison

One of the most essential northern European writers of the Renaissance was the Flemish painter, Jan van Eyck. Despite the fact that there are few records about his initial life and rise to prominence, the Van Eyck family was all around respected inside the Burgundian Netherlands which permitted history specialists to construe that he was born in the 1380s. Following quite a while of going through different northern courts, Jan van Eyck painted perhaps his most popular work, The Arnolfini Double Portrait. Van Eyck painted during the Northern Renaissance, a time of extraordinary thriving for Burgundy (current Belgium and the Netherlands). Burgundy's area made it perfect as a center for exchange and banking. This flourishing expanded the abundance …show more content…

It frames a full-length double representation, believed and accepted to portray the Italian merchant Giovanni di Nicolao Arnolfini and his wife, apparently in their home in the Flemish city of Bruges. It is believed that this painting was created to commemorate Arnolfini’s wedding. The depth of the painting is isolated into three layers, a foreground, which includes a dog and a pair of sandals; a center ground which includes the two main subjects of the painting; and foundation, which contains the rest of the items in the painting. The painting is symmetrical and the vanishing point is not a long way from the focal point of the artwork along the level. The painting is filled with symbolism and things intended to depict the subjects' recognized way of …show more content…

His wife was definitely not a virgin because white symbolizes pureness and not green. Arnolfini is holding his wife’s hand which symbolizes the love he has for her. The painting suggests that it is daytime and summertime because of the sunlight through the window and fresh oranges on the table. The candle symbolizes the union candle or could even represent the presence of god. In the renaissance culture, the devotional candle represented God’s all-seeing knowledge. Arnolfini and his wife are not wearing any shoes. This symbolizes the floor is considered holy ground or the sanctity of marriage. The painting of the mirror has a reflection of the other people in the room which can represent the people present for this

Show More
Related

  • Comparison of Las Meninas and Arnolfini Double Portrait

    1294 Words  | 3 Pages

    Arnolfini Double Portrait was painted in 1434, by Jan van Eyck; who hard already gained attention and admiration through earlier works, such as the Ghent Altarpiece. The subject of Arnolfini Double Portrait, also known as The Arnolfini Portrait, is the italian merchant Giovanni Di Nicolao Arnolfini and his first wife inside of a room filled with objects teeming with symbolism. The depth is divided into a familiar three layers, a foreground, which is composed of a dog and a pair of sandals; a middle ground which features the two main subjects of the painting; and background, which contains the rest of the objects in the painting. The painting is symmetrical and the vanishing point is not far from the center of the painting along the horizontal. The paining is filled with symbolism and items meant to portray the subjects' distinguished lifestyle. Although, what some of the objects actually symbolize can be interpreted in slightly varying ways. To begin, many of the ob...

    Read More

  • Miracle of St. Dominic

    354 Words  | 1 Pages

    The sunrise in this painting is considered the vanishing point; there is no reference to clouds, sky or land. Even though there isn't any man made objects the giant rocks or mountains have parallel lines that exceed to the sunrise. There is also two focal points in this work of art. To emphasize the focal points Bartolo uses elements of design. One of the focal points is the horse which is located in the center of the picture plane. The horse does not gasp all the attention it also permits the viewers to focus on the second focal point, which is the man in red kneeling down in front of St. Dominic. The color red attracts our attention to this man. There are also line of sight directed to him by St.

    Read More

  • View Of Molo Analysis

    701 Words  | 2 Pages

    This piece of art really impressed me. I can’t stress enough how realistic the painting is. One can see what was going on that day in Venice. Like is said that a photograph is worth a 1,000 words this painting is a photograph for its time. My interpretation of the art work was for Canal to show daily life in his city of Venice, Italy. Using the building in the foreground to the right still stands in Venice, Italy and is called the Palazzo Ducale. Giovanni Antonio Canal responded to his historical context by taking a “picture” for future generations to view, look at, admire and ponder upon

    Read More

  • Erick Fishl´s Scarsdale Painting

    670 Words  | 2 Pages

    The composition of this painting forces the eye to the woman, and specifically to her face. Although the white wedding dress is large and takes up most of the woman’s figure, the white contrasts with her face and dark hair, forcing the viewer to look more closely into the woman’s face. She smokes a cigarette and rests her chin on her hands. She does not appear to be a very young woman and her eyes are cast down and seem sad. In general, her face appears to show a sense of disillusionment with life and specifically with her own life. Although this is apparently her wedding day, she does not seem to be happy.

    Read More

  • The Details and Techniques of the Paintings of Jan van Eyck and Hans Memlinc

    2341 Words  | 5 Pages

    The two painters Jan Van Eyck (c.1390-1441) and Hans Memlinc (d.1494) are both considered great masters of Northern Art. Van Eyck is known for his execution of naturalistic detail and creating translucency in his panels. Memlinc is known for his financially minded cornucopia of work and for revolutionising the genre of portraiture. However, their differences are more pointed than there similarities. Both artists are mindful of the traditions of the Flemish school, such a the use of light to create a sense of the third dimension on the panel and the importance of landscape and background. Both artists worked in Bruges at some point; Van Eyck was an earlier master who moved to Bruges in 1430 until his death. Memlinc was German but settled there in 1465 until his death. The paintings by Van Eyck that shall be discussed are The Ghent Altarpiece, Madonna with Chancellor Rolin, Portrait of a Man and The Portrait of Giovanni Arnolfini and his Wife. The paintings by Memlinc that will be discussed are The Diptych of Maarten Nieuwenhove, Portrait of a Young Man Before a Landscape and The Donne Altarpiece.

    Read More

  • Comparison between Jan van Eyck and Fra Angelico

    1076 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...ic meanings that still are puzzling art historians today. Some of the key symbols that Stokstad points out in the text is the dove, representing the Holy Spirit; the white lilies as a symbol of the Virgin Mary. She also points out, two rather unknown symbols to the sacrilegious, the date of the Annunciation in signs of the zodiac on the floor, as well as the lone stained glass window that is symbolizing God rising above the three windows that are placed in the background behind Mary. These three windows represent the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

    Read More

  • The Arnolfini Double Portrait

    2458 Words  | 5 Pages

    ...lved Mysteries of the Arnolfini Double Portrait." FluxBoston.org. N.p., ​21 Jul 2007. Web. 8 Dec 2013.

    Read More

  • Major Changes: Humanism and The Renaissance

    939 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...tism. The dove which has been tactfully placed above the Christ’s head, symbolizes the Holy Spirit. The other characters are angels who believed to be witnessing the baptism. The nakedness of the Christ on the other hand symbolizes humility. The general landscape in this picture displays an extraordinary naturalism. The Francesca’s work also marked the era of excessive antiquarian style of sculpturing and tactful use of oil in painting (Prescott, 2005).

    Read More

  • Peter Paul Ruben's Venus and Adonis

    936 Words  | 2 Pages

    This painting, measuring about six-by-seven feet, is a massive work that draws viewers directly to it once they enter the room in which its displayed. It is not covered by any glass and is in a very well-lit area, thus it allows viewers to stand as close as possible to see the details of how Peter Paul Rubens handled his medium. Looking at the painting from a photograph is much different than viewing it up close and in person, because when looking at a photograph, one cannot see the texture of the paint that gives the painting its very delicate, unique, and realistic quality. The work appears to be in very good condition because most of the colors are still very rich and vibrant, such as Adonis’ red garment (Rubens). Although one cannot tell when directly viewing the piece, it has been said that previous use of radiographs for further analysis on the painting uncovered that initially, “Rubens gave A...

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Madonna And Child With Two Angels

    864 Words  | 2 Pages

    The theme can be generally recognized in this piece through color, space, and especially through use of light. The colors used in this piece are mostly calm toned, whereas the robes and shawls worn are pale blues, corals, and beiges. There are however, some harsh colored objects such as Mary’s navy blue shaul and deep coral gown, as well as Christ’s coral necklace that stand out from the rest of the colors. Mary’s veil and the angel on the lefts’ hair are translucent in certain streams of light coming from the windows throughout the room. The artists suggests that the light is dedicated not to represent the divine but to rather represent a more natural juxtaposition on the piece. The space that the characters stand in is fully used by the subjects but also has a very interesting doorway with heightened perspecti...

    Read More

  • Wayside Madonna

    948 Words  | 2 Pages

    The painting is organized simply. The background of the painting is painted in an Impressionist style. The blurring of edges, however, starkly contrasts with the sharp and hard contours of the figure in the foreground. The female figure is very sharp and clear compared to the background. The background paint is thick compared to the thin lines used to paint the figures in the foreground. The thick paint adds to the reduction of detail for the background. The colors used to paint the foreground figures are vibrant, as opposed to the whitened colors of the Impressionist background. The painting is mostly comprised of cool colors but there is a range of dark and light colors. The light colors are predominantly in the background and the darker colors are in the foreground. The vivid color of the robe contrasts with the muted colors of the background, resulting in an emphasis of the robe color. This emphasis leads the viewer's gaze to the focal part of the painting: the figures in the foreground. The female and baby in the foreground take up most of the canvas. The background was not painted as the artist saw it, but rather the impression t...

    Read More

  • Comparing Northern Renaissance And Italian Renaissance Art

    1192 Words  | 3 Pages

    While the Flemish were proficient in oil painting, Italian Renaissance artists continued their predecessor’s use of tempera. Furthermore, the paintings were ultimately created for different purposes and separate viewers. Although both works are centered on the defining moment of the annunciation, The Merode Altarpiece incorporates this scene into a secular setting, therefore differing from Fra Angelico’s The Annunciation which was painted for a monastery. Finally, Flemish and Italian Renaissance paintings differ in levels of realism. Although the Flemish painters were skilled in portraying realism of physical forms, they lacked a full understanding of linear perspective. In contrast, the Italian Renaissance artists were well versed in linear perspective but lacked a complete grasp of the natural

    Read More

  • Comparison Of Perugino And Caravaggio

    1317 Words  | 3 Pages

    The artists of the Baroque had a remarkably different style than artists of the Renaissance due to their different approach to form, space, and composition. This extreme differentiation in style resulted in a very different treatment of narrative. Perhaps this drastic stylistic difference between the Renaissance and Baroque in their treatment of form, space, and composition and how these characteristics effect the narrative of a painting cannot be seen more than in comparing Perugino’s Christ Delivering the Keys of the Kingdom to St. Peter from the Early Renaissance to Caravaggio’s Conversion of St. Paul from the Baroque.Perugino was one of the greatest masters of the Early Renaissance whose style ischaracterized by the Renaissance ideals of purity, simplicity, and exceptional symmetry of composition. His approach to form in Christ Delivering the Keys of the Kingdom to St.Peter was very linear. He outlined all the figures with a black line giving them a sense of stability, permanence, and power in their environment, but restricting the figures’ sense of movement. In fact, the figures seem to not move at all, but rather are merely locked at a specific moment in time by their rigid outline. Perugino’s approach to the figures’themselves is extremely humanistic and classical. He shines light on the figures in a clear, even way, keeping with the rational and uncluttered meaning of the work. His figures are all locked in a contrapposto pose engaging in intellectual conversation with their neighbor, giving a strong sense of classical rationality. The figures are repeated over and over such as this to convey a rational response and to show the viewer clarity. Perugino’s approach to space was also very rational and simple. He organizes space along three simple planes: foreground, middle ground, and background. Christ and Saint Peter occupy the center foreground and solemn choruses of saints and citizens occupy the rest of the foreground. The middle distance is filled with miscellaneous figures, which complement the front group, emphasizing its density and order, by their scattered arrangement. Buildings from the Renaissance and triumphal arches from Roman antiquity occupy the background, reinforcing the overall classical message to the

    Read More

  • The Annunciation: A Painting by Francisco de Zurbaran

    972 Words  | 2 Pages

    The ability to create a picture of The Annunciation in one’s mind is a key factor in understanding the analysis of the work. Francisco de Zurbaran approaches the painting with a naturalistic style. The painting features a room in which a woman – like angel is seen at the left kneeling on the ground before the Virgin Mary. The figure of Mary is placed between a chair and a small wooden table draped with a green cloth. Mary disregards an open Bible on the table, as she appears solemn while staring at the floor. Floating above the two main figures in the upper left side of the painting are cherubs resting on a bed of clouds. They happily gaze down at Mary with eyes from Heaven.

    Read More

  • In An Artist's Studio By Christina Rossetti Summary

    1170 Words  | 3 Pages

    Rossetti shows us the woman being painted as many different things. Although she is just a painting, the woman symbolizes how the artist views women in real life: as objects. Irony is used when the woman is painted as “a queen”(5). She is put on a pedestal in a position of power, yet she is only described as being “in [an] opal or ruby dress”(5), cementing her role as an ornament. The ruby symbolizes passion and perhaps promiscuity. Opal is a white stone that reflects many colors. White symbolizes purity; while the different colors reflected symbolize how her meaning can change, and how the artist controls her identity and can make her fit any persona he desires. The woman is also depicted as a “nameless girl”(6), indicating her identity is not important to the artist. It also shows that he does not personally know the women he’s painting, but only their looks, affirming that he bases their value off of their appearances. Lastly, the artist portrays a woman as “a saint [and] an angel”(7) and compares her to the “moon”(11), an allusion to Artemis, the goddess of virginity. In this painting, she is established as a pure virgin, which was a requirement of the time period Rossetti lived in. However, because it is one of the fantasies the artist creates, and the poem antagonizes him, this line also expresses the idea that a woman’s purity should not define her. He makes the innocent virgin and the licentious queen the only ways women can be viewed. Yet, they are the same to him. Lacking depth, their physical description is the only thing giving them any meaning. Rossetti describing the portraits conveys the idea that no matter the position in society; or what their actual personalities are like, women are just blank canvases for men to project their fantasies onto. Uninterested in a real person, the artist worships the idea of a

    Read More

More about The Arnolfini Double Portrait Analysis

Open Document