Arnolfini husbands

ID: #2267 | TOP 100 | Renaissance | Portraits

Date: 1434
Medium: oil on board
Location: National Gallery, London, UK
Dimensions: 83.7 x 57

The portrait of Giovanni Arnolfini and his wife by the Dutch painter Jan van Eyck is among the most original works of its time, i.e. the beginning of the 15th century. It is an oil on oak wood depicting a couple living in the Flemish city of Bruges. The man wears dark clothing that emphasizes his face, yet the woman's green dress stands out in the painting (the color green symbolizes hope and expected motherhood). It could thus appear that the woman is pregnant. However, this is apparently not the case, as it is a frequent depiction of period fashion.
Cherries and the color red symbolize love. Oranges of wealth. The dog in the picture represents loyalty. The candles on the chandelier symbolize life and death (the candle is not on the woman's side - there are theories that the painting depicts a man with his deceased wife). The mirror also captures a third figure in the picture - the painter himself. On the wall above the mirror is the inscription Johannes de Eyck fuits hic ("here was Jan van Eyck").

Eyck painted picture Arnolfini husbands in 1434. Prevailing color of this fine art print is vivid and its shape is portrait. Original size is 83.7 x 57. This art piece is located in National Gallery, London, UK. This image is printed on demand - you can choose material, size and finishing.

Jan van Eyck or Johannes de Eyck (ca. 1385-1441). Dutch painter considered one of the greatest painters of the late Middle Ages. From the age of 30, he began to emphasize veracity in his paintings; this broke the conventions of the former Gothic style, which glamorized reality. His naturalism and realism soon grew into the Flemish school of painting, to which belonged painters such as Bosch, Peter Brueghel, van Dyck or Rembrandt. Eyck experimented with technique and was interested in the theory of light (therefore, he began to use brighter, more saturated colours). He was behind the major improvements and expansion in oil paints. His The Arnolfini Portrait or Portrait of Giovanni Arnolfini and his wife is among the most original works of its time. It is an oil on oak showing spouses living in the Flemish city of Bruges.