Arnolfinis Marriage Essay

Arnolfinis Marriage Essay Jan van Eyck was 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 The Arnolfini Marriage. Marriage is a sacred union between man and woman. A wedding is one of the most important events in a womans life. Often a wedding occurs in the present of the wedding party, family members and friends. During the 1400s a wedding ceremony was performed in the privacy of the home. van Eyck was hired to paint a portrait of this marriage union. Some art historians, like Panofsky, claim that van Eyck was a witness to the Arnolfini wedding and the painting serves as documentation of their vows Kren. Jeanne de Chenany looks pregnant in her green wedding dress, this wedding was kept private because it was a secret or maybe this type of dress was very stylish during the 1400s. The bride was definitely not a virgin, because white symbolizes pureness not green. Arnolfini is holding Jeanne de Chenany hand as an expression of his love for her. This wedding was held during the daytime because you can clearly see the light through the window in the painting. The single burning candle in the chandelier was not needed to light up the room. This candle symbolizes the union candle or could even symbolize the presence of God. In the Renaissance culture, a devotional candle signified Gods all-seeing knowledge Pioch. 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. Dog 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 van Eycks own tiny self-portrait Pioch. His signature on the painting reads Jan van Eyck was present, this has been interpreted by some historians as an indication that he served as a witness Pioch. If the Arnolfinis Marriage had taken place during the 1900s it would have been very easy for an artist to include every single detail of the wedding. Because the wedding took place during the 1400s, 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