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The <em>Arnolfini Portrait</em> or <em>Arnolfini Marriage </em>was painted by Jan van Eyck in 1434. This oil on canvas painting depicts a man and a woman, perhaps a pre–wedding portrait, holding hands in an upper–class looking room. Some major points of the picture are a dog standing on the floor between the two people, a chandelier hanging from the ceiling, a mirror on the back wall behind them, a window to the left, and a bed to the right. The man is wearing a hat, and the woman is also wearing some form of hat on her head. They are both wearing long drape–like clothing. This work, <em>Arnolfini Portrait </em>by van Eyck should be preserved because of  its symbolism and attention to detail.<!--more-->

In the 1400’s the Medici family (Cosimo in 1434) took control of the government in Florence, Italy. It affected the arts because Cosimo was a supporter of sculptors and artists (Stephanie). The religious movement, devotio moderna, spread throughout Northern Europe in the late 14<sup>th</sup> to 16<sup>th</sup> centuries, it stressed meditation and the “inner life (devotio).”

This work is typical of its era because it was usual to find oil painting portraitures, seeing as Jan van Eyck did perfect oil paintings in Early Renaissance (Fiero), which is when this painting was made. Another thing that makes this painting typical of its era is the dog on the bottom of the picture. It was usual for paintings to involve a dog, representing faith and fidelity (Panofsky). During this time period the subjects of most paintings were people (Fiero). Middle class patrons approved of paintings that “recorded their physical appearance and brought attention to their earthly achievements (Fiero).”

What makes this work stand out from its peers is its attention to detail and how each detail stands for or represents something greater. Most Northern paintings had this characteristic, while most Italian Renaissance pieces did not (Fiero). This work was considered innovative because it “achieved the impression of dense, atmospheric space, and simulated the naturalistic effects of light reflecting off the surfaces of objects (Fiero).”

This work was received as innovative and revolutionary during its time because it was one of the first to achieve many aspects that it has become famous for such as the level of realism, extreme detail, and reference to religion and marriage (Fiero). Since in this painting, the man’s left hand was bound to the woman’s right hand, it was considered a “left hand marriage” which meant the woman had no rights of inheritance (Sandler), so this sparked some upset by its viewers.

Today, people think this classic work is important and one of the most famous works of art of the Early Renaissance. There is much speculation today about this painting. There are a few different interpretations of this work; one of which is allegorical. In this interpretation this portrait is viewed as a work that has symbolic references in its details, which is what makes this painting so famous (Jeffery). I do not see any differences in reception then and today.

When I first saw this painting I did not think much of it. It was not until I started researching it that I became more interested in it. What I came to admire about this painting is how at first glance you don’t notice a lot of the detail, until you zoom in and find the writing above the mirror, reflection in the mirror, the single burning candle in the chandelier; to speculate that each of these stands for something is fascinating. Something I find meaningful about this portrait is the dog standing between the couple, which represents fidelity (Panofsky).

In Titian’s <em>Pastoral Concert</em>, also oil on canvas painting, similarities between that painting and the Arnolfini Portrait is that they both have humans as their subject matter. They are different thought because in Titian’s work, the ladies in the painting are nude, while van Eyck’s painting has the people clothed. They are not alike because Titian’s is outdoors and Eyck’s is indoors.

The most significant of things about this work is its symbolism and its attention to detail.

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<p align="center">Works Cited</p>
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Fiero, First. <em>The Humanistic Tradition</em>. 13. 2. McGraw-Hill, eBook

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Stephanie, <em>The Medici Family</em>. n. d. Web. 5 Sep. 2011. <a href="http://www.yesnet.yk.ca/schools/projects/renaissance/medici.html">http://www.yesnet.yk.ca/schools/projects/renaissance/medici.html</a>

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"devotio moderna." <em>Encyclopedia Britannica</em>. Web. <a href="http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/160366/devotio-moderna">http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/160366/devotio-moderna</a>

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Panofsky, Erwin. <em>Jan van Eyck's Arnolfini Portrait</em>. 64. The Burlington Magazine Publications, 1934. eBook. &lt;http://www.scribd.com/doc/32667033/Erwin-Panofsky-1934-Jan-Van-Eyck-s-Arnolfini-Portrait-The-Burlington-Magazine-for-ConnoisseursT-LXIV-372-pp-117-119-122-127&gt;

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Sandler, Lucy Freeman. <em>The Handclasp in the Arnolfini Wedding: A Manuscript Precedent</em>. 1984. eBook. <a href="http://ehis.ebscohost.com.lsproxy.austincc.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=dc31cbdf-7c74-4e67-8deb-5ca8a513624b%40sessionmgr112&amp;vid=1&amp;hid=121">http://ehis.ebscohost.com.lsproxy.austincc.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=dc31cbdf-7c74-4e67-8deb-5ca8a513624b%40sessionmgr112&amp;vid=1&amp;hid=121</a>

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Jeffery, Joshua. "The Arnolfini Wedding Portrait: Interpretations." <em>The Blog of Joshua Jeffery</em>. WordPress, 17 Mar 2009. Web. 9 Sep. 2011. &lt;http://www.jwjeffery.com/?p=57&gt;