Arnolfini’s Marriage Essay - 527 Words

Arnolfini’s Marriage Jan van Eyck was â€Å"one of the greatest and most influential Flemish painters of altarpieces and portraits of the 1400s† (Hayes). van Eycks paintings often include objects with hidden symbolic meaning. There are several different interpretations of the symbolic meaning concerning his portrait of Giovanni Arnolfini and his second bride often referred to as â€Å"The Arnolfini Marriage†. Marriage is a sacred union between man and woman. A wedding is one of the most important events in a woman’s life. Often a wedding occurs in the present of the wedding party, family members and friends. During the 1400’s a wedding ceremony was performed in the privacy of the home. van Eyck was hired to paint a portrait of this marriage†¦show more content†¦Arnolfini and his bride are not wearing any shoes. This symbolizes the floor is considered holy ground or the sanctity of marriage (Pioch). Some art historians claim the shoes do not have a symbolic meaning. Do g were considered a symbol of devotion and love so often they were included in portraits of a married couple. van Eyck painted the mirror as a reflection of the witnesses present for the wedding. Which includes â€Å"van Eyck’s own tiny self-portrait† (Pioch). His signature on the painting reads â€Å"Jan van Eyck was present†, this has been interpreted by some historians as an indication that he served as a witness† (Pioch). If the â€Å"Arnolfini’s Marriage† had taken place during the 1900’s it would have been very easy for an artist to include every single detail of the wedding. Because the wedding took place during the 1400’s, all we can do is assume or use our best judgment to interpret the true meaning of each symbol in the portrait. We can all at least agree van Eyck was the artist that painted this portrait. Then again some historians say his brother Hubert was the artist. (Kren) Works Cited Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. New York: Mod. Lang. Assn., 1999. Hayes, Rae-Anne and Klein, Amy. â€Å"Arnolfini Portrait Also Known As The Arnolfini Marriage† 13 May 2002. Kren, Emil, and Marx, Daniel. Portrait of Giovanni Arnolfini and his Wife† Web Gallery of Art 13 May 2002.Show MoreRelatedArnolfini Marriage by Jan Van Eyck976 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"Arnolfini Marriage† is a very famous painting by Jan Van Eyck painted in the early 15th century, which is in the National Gallery in London. According to the Catalogue of the National Gallery, the painting is just a portrait of the couple Arnolfini that is showing their marriage. Waldemar Januszczak, an author and presenter, believes that this portrait was wrongly named and it should have been called â€Å"the Arnolfini Pregnancy†. Januszczak believes that Mrs. Arnolfini is pregnant and she is dead atRead MoreSymbolism and Multiple Meanings in Jan Van Eycks Wedding Portrait1903 Words   |  8 Pagesthis painting was an official wedding document. Marriages of wealth y people were almost always social events. One of the reasons that you could see this as a legal document is because Jan is so accurate. Jan painted this wedding scene in the 14th century and in the 15th century this painting would not stand in court. Even if it was a contract it would take place at home and without a priest. The Catholic Church discouraged this type of marriage but it wasnt always denied. In the latter middleRead MoreAnalysis of the Opening Theme of Desperate Housewives5479 Words   |  22 Pagesmiddle-class American suburbs, where, since it is made clear on the basis of the events, life is not as harmonious as it seems at the first glimpse. Following the everyday life of the four desperate housewives, topics like success and failure, marriage and family values, revenge, jealousy and of course friendship and neighbourhood are depicted. Moreover, each season reveals a mysterious and often terrible secret like for example murder that, throughout the storyline, could not be hidden under the