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Arnolfini Marriage by Jan Van Eyck painted around 1390- 1441. 32.4 in X 23.6 in |
Part I: DESCRIPTION
The Arnolfini Marriage artwork is painted by Jan Van Eyck who born in Netherland (c. 1395- before 9 July 1441 at the age of 45-46). Arnolfini Marriage is painted around 1390- 1441 (14 or 15 century), with oil paint at the size of 32.4 in X 23.6 in. There are 2 main objects are found which are the man and the woman. The man is called Giovanni di Arrigo Arnolfini which located at the left part of the painting. He wore underneath which is a double of patterial material. It was probably silk damask. Besides that, Giovanni Arnolfini wore an outer garment called Houppelande or known as Tabard which is purple color and linen with fur. Moreover, he wore a hat that plaited straw dyed with black color that usually wore in summer. Other than that, he also wore a ring at his third finger which means that Giovanni Arnolfini can be proved that he is a married man. The woman who appeared at the right side of painting known as Giovanni Cenami which is Giovanni Arnolfini wife. She wore a plain gold necklace and a plain ring at her left hand and right hand. She wore an outer garment that called Houppelande or also known as Tabard which is green in color decorative with dagging that linen with yellow colored fur. Giovanni Cenami wore the underdress that is blue in color and also linen with yellow colored fur at the bottom of near to her feet that almost touched the floor. The background of the painting consists of the bed which is big in size and red in color and carving on the chair or bench against to the wall to the right partly hidden by Giovanni Arnolfini. There is a window located at the middle left. There have oranges on top the chest and lie on the window sill which can be found at the left of middle below the window of the painting. Oranges is a sign of wealth and it is very expensive in Burgundy. Two shoes are appeared inside of the painting which is located at the mostly left bottom that is brown in color known as clogs and a red shoe that located at the right middle of the painting near the bench. In between bottom of the man and woman there is a little dog brown in color is an early form of the breed now known as the Brussels griffon. The following object that I saw is a convex mirror framed with wooden that located right in the middle of the painting. Inside the mirror there is a reflection of two human figures that facing the couples in front of the door inside the room. One of the human figure wore red in color and another is wore blue in color cloths. One of them assumed to be the artist and may refer to the requirement to witness the wedding. On top middle of the painting there is a brass chandelier that is large in size and functioned as a pulley and chain mechanism to lower the brass chandelier to managing the candle. There is an oriental carpet that places on floor that partly hidden by Giovanni Cenami. There is a small broom hanging at beside of the bed. Lastly, there is a signature signed in the form of Gothic script by Jan Van Eyck located in between of the brass chandelier and convex mirror middle of the painting. In the painting, most of the objects form a three dimensional such as the couple’s, bed, clogs, dog, bench, chandelier, mirror, window, and the chest. Most if the shapes appeared in the painting is geometric shapes such as the mirror, window, chandelier, carpet, shoe and fruits. Whereas, organic shapes are the dog, the couple, bed, and the broom. Color that used in the painting are cool color such as purple color can be found at Giovanni Arnolfini Houppelande, green color can be seen at Giovanni Cenami outer garment Houppelande, and blue color wore by Giovanni Cenami as her underneath cloth. In case, warm color such as yellow color can be found at Giovanni Cenami outer garment and underneath linen with fur, red color can be seen at bed and the bench, and the background and the dog are brown in color. Jan Van Eyck painted this Arnolfini Marriage portrait with shades, highlight, and light and dark to make the picture to be more realistic. Most of the lines that appeared in the painting are vertical lines that can be found at the bed curtain, window, chandelier, couples, Giovanni Arnolfini hand position, broom and cloths there wearing. In addition, diagonal lines appeared as we can saw the couple holding hands form a diagonal line. Moreover, horizontal line can be found at the window, chest, floor, bed, shoes, and Giovanni Cenami hand position. In between the couple form a psychic line.
Part II: ANALYSIS
The Arnolfini Marriage used the techniques of oil painting, applying layer after layer of translucent thin glazes to archive the effects of glowing colors and highlighting. Besides that, Jan Van Eyck used the method wet-in-wet to archive the light and shade and three dimensional forms. On the other hand, the artist had drawn the artwork onto the wood panel. Moreover, in the middle of the painting Jan Van Eyck wrote a signature that is in a Gothic script form. The painting is in symmetrical balance as the approximate symmetrical balance of Giovanni Cenami make the right part heavier than the left part where Giovanni Arnolfini at, forming a unity of the painting. The man (Giovanni Arnolfini) and the woman (Giovanni Cenami) took 75% out of 100% of the whole painting. Giovanni Arnolfini scale is smaller because of the purple color of his Houppelande equivalent with the background. Whereas, Giovanni Cenami occupied most of the space because of her green Houppelande contrast with red color and form complimentary color. Giovanni Cenami played a role as a dominant in the painting because of her color contrast between the backgrounds whereas Giovanni Arnolfini played a role as a sub dominant in the painting because of his Houppelande equivalent with the background. Colors such as green (cool color), red (warm color) and purple (cool color) created contrast and lead it to form rhythm. Repetition of vertical line appeared most at the couple’s cloths and the window. For horizontal line, most of it appeared at the background of the couple’s such as the floor, window, bench and the bed. The subjective view that I can see that from the painting is a happy married couple, looking forward to the baby born, artist painted this beautiful moment due to the couple’s marriage anniversary and I can feel that the couple’s is very warm.
Part III: JUDGMENT
This painting was probably painted in a reception room as it was the fashion in Burgundy where reception room used as seating. Giovanni Arnolfini was husband to Giovanni Cenami and worked as a cloth merchant and lately become wealthy trading in silk and other fabrics and tapestries. Giovanni Cenami is Giovanni Arnolfini wife who actually not pregnant. In this case, in between 14 to 15 century the more a person wore, the wealthier he or she was assumed to be. It was fashionable for women’s dresses at that time. In the other hand, researched shown that Giovanni Cenami is dead childless. In the painting shown that Giovanni Cenami is a married woman this is because a married woman has to wear headdress. Bed inside the room symbolized the couple’s desire for fertility and hint that the physical act of the love between the married couple. Oranges placed at the window sills and chest symbolized the purity and the innocence of the couple. Cherries on top of the trees outside of the window symbolized love. Fruits signed the couple’s is a wealthy since fruits was very expensive during that time. There is a pair clogs appeared on the floor bottom of Giovanni Arnolfini feet and it is a gesture of respect for the wedding ceremony. Candle that slotting inside the chandelier brings the meaning of indicating love and sexual union. The little dog appeared in between of the couple’s feet symbolized loyalty and the couple’s is desire to have a child. Dog is also a traditional gift from husband to wife. Giovanni Cenami dressed with green color symbolized hope that might be the possibility hope of becoming a mother. Her white headdress shown the purity and signifies her is a married woman. The convex mirror
Part IV: AUDIENCE
The artwork may initially be for the couple to record the events and the memorial moment in their life, when the couple getting old they can reviewed back their wedding painting that might make them think of sweet memory. Unintended audience who appreciate this artwork will be the students or historians. Art students can refer to the method and how the painting was paint and for the students who studied the subject History of Art & Design.
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References
Eyecon Art, art history pages. Retrieved at August 10, 2011 from: http://robinurton.com/history/Renaissance/northrenaiss.htm
Garden of Praise, free educational materials. Retrieved at August 9, 2011 from:
1400- 1500 in fashion. Retrieved August 9, 2011, from Wikipedia
Virtual Museum, Retrieved at August 10, 2011, from:
Jan Van Eyck. Retrieved at August 6, 2011, from:
Giovanni Arnolfini. Retrieved at August 6, 2011, from:
Brussels griffon. Retrieved at August 10, 2011, from:
