One of the most noteworthy northern European writers of the Renaissance was the Flemish painter, Jan van Eyck. Although there are few records about his early life and rise to prominence, the Van Eyck family was well regarded within the Burgundian Netherlands which allowed historians to surmise that he was born in the 1380s. After years of travelling through various northern courts and gaining esteem, Jan van Eyck painted perhaps his most famous work, The Arnolfini Double Portrait. This work has been the subject of a great deal of critical analysis as a piece of Renaissance art. Some historians have found that the work is demonstrative of artistic and social ideals that were both ahead of its time and touted the line of controversy. However, taking into account the painting’s patronage, symbolism, artistic style, and function, it becomes clear that The Arnolfini Double Portrait is an exemplar of the Renaissance era artistic conventions and is not as difficult to parse as some critics would believe. In order to discuss the painting in its entirety, it is necessary to explore the context of the painting’s creation. The Arnolfini Double Portrait was dated 1434, and was likely completed in the same year. The medium for the painting was oil paint on oak panel, and is one of the few surviving panels from fifteenth century northern Europe. While the identity of the sitters for the painting is still a subject of debate amongst scholars, it is typically accepted that the male subject is Giovanni Arnolfini and the female subject was his wife. After all, Arnolfini was a successful Italian merchant with the means to commission such a painting, and was later used as a sitter for another of Van Eyck’s painting. The general consensus in the ... ... middle of paper ... ...lved Mysteries of the Arnolfini Double Portrait." FluxBoston.org. N.p., 21 Jul 2007. Web. 8 Dec 2013. Hicks, Carola. "Girl in a Green Gown: The History and Mystery of the Arnolfi Portrait.” (2008): Chicago. 47-49. Print Harbison, Craig. Jan van Eyck: The Play of Realism, Second Updated and Expanded Edition. 2nd. New York: Reakition Books, 2012. 1-32. Print. Harbison, Craig. "Sexuality and Social Standing in Arnolfini's Double Portrait". Renaissance Quarterly, Vol. 43, No. 2 (Summer, 1990), pp. 249–291 Nash, Susan. Oxford History of Art: Norther Renaissance Art. 2nd. New York: Oxford University Press, 2009. 30-65. eBook. Seidel, Linda. "Jan van Eyck's Arnolfini Portrait": Business as Usual? Critical Inquiry Vol. 16, No. 1 (Autumn, 1989), pp. 54-86 Published by: The University of Chicago Press Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1343626
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...
The painting, Giovanni Arnolfini and His Wife is full of many different symbolic objects and hidden meanings. Many of these symbolic objects require some background knowledge regarding the time period and the traditions and practices. This makes analyzing the painting and trying to make connections much harder for the everyday viewer. In conclusion, Jan Van Eyck’s painting Giovanni Arnolfini and His Wife too complex for the everyday viewer and is filled with symbolic objects and hidden meanings that can be
The Renaissance in Western Europe brought a “rebirth” to the arts. No longer was the church the only accredited patron for the arts. Instead, a wealthy middle class arose as patrons and were able to purchase artist’s works. Although many pieces still had religious themes, the styles, freedom of creativity, and less reserved pieces were created. The Renaissance was not only confined to Italy, although it is often mistaken as the birthplace of the movement. All over Western Europe artwork flourished. Artists from the north came to Italy to study the classical arts and the renowned Italian Renaissance artists. Many of the same themes and subject matters were depicted throughout Western Europe. One such subject matter, the Annunciation, was portrayed by Jan van Eyck, a Flemish panel painter, as well as, Fra Angelico, an Italian fresco painter. In short, the Annunciation occurred when God sends the angel, Gabriel to deliver the message to Mary that she will give birth to his only son. Although both artists had the same understanding of the biblical account, their styles varied to agree with the concerns and interests of the people of the time as well as where they lived. They were able to establish their individuality through their artwork, even with the same subject matter. The Annunciation by Jan van Eyck is a perfect reflection of Northern Renaissance panel painting while Annunciation by Fra Angelico is the essence of Italian Renaissance fresco painting.
...Flemish artists such as Jan van Eyck . Joos van Cleve’s tactical placement of objects whether they speak to piety or death are so well chosen because they produce a clear message to the viewer but they also represent the stylistic quality of Northern Renaissance painting.
In this essay I am going to study two artists, Van Gogh, who today is widely regarded as one of history’s greatest Dutch painters and Scottish painter and print maker, Elizabeth Blackadder.
Lucie-Smith, E. (n.d.). “Lives of the Great 20th-Centry Artists” (excerpt). The Artchive [On-line] 1 Nov 2002. Available: http://www.artchive.com/artchive/M/modigliani.html
The Arnolfini Portrait by Jan van Eyck is a 1434 oil painting on oak panel. It a full length dual portrait, of the Italian merchant Giovanni di Nicolao Arnolfini and his wife, in their home in the Flemish city of Bruges. It is one of the most original and intricate paintings in Western art, because of its beauty, and allowance of the picture space with the use of a mirror. His wife is not pregnant but holding up her skirted dress in the present-day fashion.
The two paintings I have selected for the essay concerning representational, abstract, and non-representational art are “Judith and Holofernes” by Artemisia Gentileschi and “Dark Abstraction” by Georgia O’Keeffe.
Jan van Eyck painted Giovanni Arnolfini and His Bride. He painted this piece with oil on wood in 1434. The painting was thought to be of a couple taking vows because they are holding hands. The couples clothing provides the audience with the suggestion that the couple is wealthy. The women is wearing a plain necklace. The woman shows an apparent bulge. This bulge could be from a pregnancy or the woman is just holding up her full-skirted dress in the contemporary fashon. The more clothing a person wore the richer they were. In addition, the house suggest that the couple is wealthy. There is a chandelier and room decorations. There is two candles in the chandelier. One is lit while the other is burnt out.
O’Donnell, Sr., Joseph J.. “Art and the French Revolution”. The Eerie Digest, May 2013. Web. 5th May 2013.
I cower not at the sight of Man In A Red Turban, witnessing the affect of time upon my flesh and soul; rather feel empowered knowing that I will live a life where nothing is lost upon me, an escapade of new sensations. When time has made me brother of Man In A Red Turban I will look upon his eyes, the very same eyes from my youth, with elation because I shall have lived a life not constrained by borders or by the limits of my spectator rather of free will and engagement. Knowing that time has made me strong and potent while you, the man in the portrait, feed on dust and superstition, I shall find contentment. The absolute subjugation of the weak and faithlessness you are because, man in portrait, if they refuse to believe in you do you even exist? Jan Van Eyck is a master for this. The man in the portrait isn’t real but yet he exist for me, I know this to be so. Why? Eyck’s prowess as an artist, a painter, he has captured reality and bestowed life where once absent—God. The painting shall continue to exist for it’s the spectator, and not life, that art really mirrors. In doing so, Jan Van Eyck, the portrait and the spectator become one and the palace they inhabit their
In the middle of the 15th century Fra Filippo Lippi painted one of the earliest surviving double portraits from the Italian Renaissance. This Portrait of a Woman and Man holds many mysteries, unlike another double portrait by Piero della Francesca painted roughly twenty-five years later. Francesca’s double portrait is titled “Battista Sforza and Federico Da Montefeltro”, which is completely opposite from the vague title given to Fra Filippo Lippi’s painting. Each painting is completed on wood, however Francesca’s is oil, while Lippi’s is tempera.
Iconography is defined as the study of various subject matters and conventional symbols in works of art (Cothran, Stokstad 1141). In art history, iconography is used to study the interpretation of the artwork such as the composition and the artistic style of the piece. Iconography used regarding the interpretation of Jan van Eyck’s Double Portriat of Giovanni Arnolfini and His Wife includes the debate as to whether or not the artwork represents a wedding or a double portrait. The piece shows a man and women holding hands and with their shoes off indicating a sacred event is taking place. A single candle is lit on the chandelier representing the presents of God. Through iconography analysis, these details indicate that the artwork is portraying
There is symbolism surrounding The Arnolfini Portrait all around like the oranges, colors, dog, chandelier, mirror, and even the shoes. It is believed that this portrait represents a marriage. My first reaction to seeing the women was that she was pregnant but soon found out that her "pregnant" belly was just a padding to look more attractive to give the idea she can produce children and if you look closer you'll see shes holding a bunch of her fabric. This portrays wealth, youth, and fertility. The color of her dress is green which can represent fertility as well. The dog symbolizes obedience and loyalty to the marriage. In the mirror its been said that the artist, Jan van Eyck is in the reflection with someone else as witnesses to the marriage
The women which Stephen comes across in his journey in becoming an artist define him and change him by nurturing him, fascinating him, and inspiring him. Stephen was forever changed by his mother, the Virgin Mary, Eileen, the prostitute, and the seaside woman. The object of the artist is to create the object of the beautiful, I argue that it was the beauty in the women of A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, which created the artist in the end.