The Arnolfini Portrait: the wife was already dead when it was painted | Van Eyck

No one would look at this scene and doubt that this couple was extremely wealthy. They are holding hands, his right hand raised in a solemn gesture. In a medieval ritual, this is the exact posture of someone making a vow, an oath. or a wedding. For centuries, that is exactly what everyone believed they were seeing here—a portrait of marriage. The historian was named Erwin Panofsky, and what he noticed was right at the center of painting Written on the wall, a signature in Latin, Gothic script: IONIS DE EIC FUIT RIC. Jean Van Eyck was here. In his other paintings, the signature was subtle, small, in a corner. Here she is integrated into the scene, as if she belonged to the moment. For Panofsky, this changed everything. Van Eyck was not signing as a painter, but as a witness. This painting, in his interpretation, was not merely a portrait; it was a legal document, a record. from the marriage. Below the signature is a convex mirror; examine it carefully, and around it, ten medallions. Dourados Each one depicts a scene from the Passion of Christ, from his arrest to his crucifixion. And the reflection inside the mirror is impressive. There are people who believe that Van Eyck used a brush made from a single hair. Paint this detail. Looking at the reflection, you can see the couple from behind, the window in the background, the suspended chandelier On the ceiling, oranges on the windowsill, on the grill in 1434. But you can also see something else—two additional figures, one dressed in red, the other blue They are in the scene, but do not appear in the painting. And for Panofsky, this confirmed the thesis. These two figures were the witnesses to the marriage, and one of them might have been the very one Van Eyck. Panofsky had stated that the couple were Giovanni di Arrigo Arnolfini and his wife, Jani. Senami. A file search revealed a problem. Giovanni di Arrigo only married in 1447, 13 years after the painting was created. The researchers had to look for another candidate, and they found a cousin of his, Giovanni. of Nicolao Arnolfini, a wealthy merchant from Lucca, Italy. She lived in Bruges and sold fabrics. Now notice the chandelier—it has several candles, but only one is lit, above the head. delete Panofsky saw it as a wedding veil, with the wisdom of God presiding over the ceremony, but there is another interpretation. no shine. On her side, which had already burned. In Christian tradition, a extinguished candle signifies the passage of time and the fragility of life. In 2003, historian Margaret Koster found a document. Giovanni di Nicolao Arnolfini's first wife was named Costanza, who died at the age of 30. 1433, one year before this painting was made, and all the evidence points to her having died in labor From this, Koster showed that the entire painting can be read in another way. Look at the chair behind the woman. At the top, there is a carved figure of a woman standing on a dragon. This is Saint Margaret, the patron saint of pregnant women. In the legend, she was swallowed by a dragon and emerged unharmed. Now look at the little dog at the couple's feet. Panofsky interpreted it as a symbol of fidelity, but in medieval female tombs, dogs They appear as guardians, spirits that accompany the soul of the deceased to the afterlife. And the big ones from the mirror? They are not arranged by chance. On the left, beside him, only scenes of the living Christ. On the right, beside her, scenes of Christ's death. To his left is life, to her right is death. For Koster, painting is not a marriage, it is a memorial. But then the central controversy of the painting arises. Look at her belly. Koster says she's pregnant, that's why Santa Margarida. Other historians disagree. They say the belly is just a passing trend of the times. Rich women wore dresses made of heavy fabric piled up in the front, nothing to do with pregnancy And look at this other painting by Van Eyck, the Madonna of Chancellor Rolin. The Virgin Mary is in exactly the same posture, and no one thinks she is pregnant. There's one more detail. Arnolfini was a textile merchant. Painting one's wife draped in extravagant fabrics was also a professional advertisement. So we end without knowing. Was it a marriage? Memorial? What is a manifesto? And perhaps that is Van Eyck's genius. Paint a scene so natural that you don't even notice it, yet it fits within three readings. at the same time Marriage. Memorial Professional manifesto. Every detail in the painting—the sail, the mirror, the dog, the posture—changes meaning depending on how you look at it. Six hundred years later, the mystery remains. And you? Which reading makes more sense to you? What about Panofsky? A da Koster? Or a third one that hasn't been proposed yet? Thank you for getting this far, I'll see you in the next video.