Object type, size, and materials/finish: Oil Painting, 82.2 cm × 60 cm (32.4 in × 23.6 in);panel 84.5 cm × 62.5 cm (33.3 in × 24.6 in), Oil on 3 oak panels
What design elements/principles are used?
While Southern artist created this through the study of anatomy, perspective, while northern artists achieved it by developing and mastering oil paint and paying precise attention to detail. This painting is rich with detail and symbols that have been lost in present day but were recognizable by viewers when the painting was created. Every object in this painting has a specific meaning. Van Eyck has created an excellent sense of realism that is only possible with the use of Oil paint. Because oil paint draws slowly and can be applied in many thin layers of paint. He also used his finger tips and rags to eliminate any signs of brush marks.
How well crafted is it? How can you tell?
This piece of work is very well crafted especially for the time in which is was done(which is the early part of Northern Renaissance). I can tell because is you look closely enough at the painting on the mirror you can see the back of Arnolfini and his wife. This shows that Van Eyke is very attentive to detail.
What can you tell me about the artist? (There should be a printed sheet on the wall or ask gallery staff.)
This work is a portrait of Giovanni di Nicolao Arnolfini and his wife, but is not intended as a record of their wedding. His wife is not pregnant, as is often thought, but holding up her full-skirted dress in the contemporary fashion. Arnolfini was a member of a merchant family from Lucca living in Bruges. The couple are shown in a well-appointed interior. [-The ornate Latin signature translates as 'Jan van Eyck was here 1434'. The similarity to modern graffiti is not accidental. Van Eyck often inscribed his pictures in a witty way. The mirror reflects two figures in the doorway. One may be the painter himself. Arnolfini raises his right hand as he faces them, perhaps as a greeting.
What do you think the artist’s intent was? Why do you think that?
Personally I think that Jan van Eyke's intent was to show off his skill in painting. I think this because throughout the painting he shows just how skilled he is. For example, on the mirror you will see scenes from when Jesus was being crucified (otherwise known as the passion of christ). Another good example of him showing off would be above the mirror when he writes in Latin "Jan Van Eyke was here."
How do the art works you discovered correlate to your universal truth?
This artwork correlates to my universal truth because this wedding actually happened and it was an arranged marriage. This shows a lack of family presence in Costanza Trenta's life because she was forced to marry someone she didn't even love. All the parents wanted was money from her suitor.
What ideas or new information did you learn from this museum visit? How might that information be helpful in the future?
I learned to accept art for is natural beauty and not to judge something before I take a second look at it. This will help me in the future to think before I act.
Analysis
The portrait of the Arnolfini Marriage supports how and abundance or lack of family presence shapes the way a person lives their life because of the history behind the painting. This portrait is of an arranged marriage and you can tell this because of the way her hand is in his. Her family were the ones benefiting from this marriage not herself. The only reason she married him was for her family. This shows an abundance and a lock of family presence in Costanza Trenta's life (the woman in the painting). If you look at the painting you see that Costanza's hand isn't really in the hand of the mans. This shows how Costanza had a lack of family in her life because all that her family wanted was money from the marriage and not for their own daughter to be happy. Another great example in the painting that there was a lack of family presence in Costanza's life is the look on the mans face. He looks kind of disgusted by her and he obviously doesn't want to marry her. This again shows how Costanza's family wasn't really looking out for her happiness in the marriage and the rest of her life. This helps to support how an abundance or lack of family presence in a person life affects the way they live their life.
Artwork: The Arnolfini Marriage
An explanation of the piece
- Object type, size, and materials/finish: Oil Painting, 82.2 cm × 60 cm (32.4 in × 23.6 in);panel 84.5 cm × 62.5 cm (33.3 in × 24.6 in), Oil on 3 oak panels
- What design elements/principles are used?
While Southern artist created this through the study of anatomy, perspective, while northern artists achieved it by developing and mastering oil paint and paying precise attention to detail. This painting is rich with detail and symbols that have been lost in present day but were recognizable by viewers when the painting was created. Every object in this painting has a specific meaning. Van Eyck has created an excellent sense of realism that is only possible with the use of Oil paint. Because oil paint draws slowly and can be applied in many thin layers of paint. He also used his finger tips and rags to eliminate any signs of brush marks.- How well crafted is it? How can you tell?
This piece of work is very well crafted especially for the time in which is was done(which is the early part of Northern Renaissance). I can tell because is you look closely enough at the painting on the mirror you can see the back of Arnolfini and his wife. This shows that Van Eyke is very attentive to detail.- What can you tell me about the artist? (There should be a printed sheet on the wall or ask gallery staff.)
This work is a portrait of Giovanni di Nicolao Arnolfini and his wife, but is not intended as a record of their wedding. His wife is not pregnant, as is often thought, but holding up her full-skirted dress in the contemporary fashion. Arnolfini was a member of a merchant family from Lucca living in Bruges. The couple are shown in a well-appointed interior. [-The ornate Latin signature translates as 'Jan van Eyck was here 1434'. The similarity to modern graffiti is not accidental. Van Eyck often inscribed his pictures in a witty way. The mirror reflects two figures in the doorway. One may be the painter himself. Arnolfini raises his right hand as he faces them, perhaps as a greeting.- What do you think the artist’s intent was? Why do you think that?
Personally I think that Jan van Eyke's intent was to show off his skill in painting. I think this because throughout the painting he shows just how skilled he is. For example, on the mirror you will see scenes from when Jesus was being crucified (otherwise known as the passion of christ). Another good example of him showing off would be above the mirror when he writes in Latin "Jan Van Eyke was here."- How do the art works you discovered correlate to your universal truth?
This artwork correlates to my universal truth because this wedding actually happened and it was an arranged marriage. This shows a lack of family presence in Costanza Trenta's life because she was forced to marry someone she didn't even love. All the parents wanted was money from her suitor.- What ideas or new information did you learn from this museum visit? How might that information be helpful in the future?
I learned to accept art for is natural beauty and not to judge something before I take a second look at it. This will help me in the future to think before I act.Analysis
The portrait of the Arnolfini Marriage supports how and abundance or lack of family presence shapes the way a person lives their life because of the history behind the painting. This portrait is of an arranged marriage and you can tell this because of the way her hand is in his. Her family were the ones benefiting from this marriage not herself. The only reason she married him was for her family. This shows an abundance and a lock of family presence in Costanza Trenta's life (the woman in the painting). If you look at the painting you see that Costanza's hand isn't really in the hand of the mans. This shows how Costanza had a lack of family in her life because all that her family wanted was money from the marriage and not for their own daughter to be happy. Another great example in the painting that there was a lack of family presence in Costanza's life is the look on the mans face. He looks kind of disgusted by her and he obviously doesn't want to marry her. This again shows how Costanza's family wasn't really looking out for her happiness in the marriage and the rest of her life. This helps to support how an abundance or lack of family presence in a person life affects the way they live their life.