Jan van Eyck has created many good pictures. One of the most famous is the portrait of Giovanni Arnolfini and his wife Giovanna Cenami. That has a reason. At first glance, the picture seems simply to portray a couple, well-heeled people portraying themselves to their wedding. Behind the pair hangs a round mirror on the wall. He is good to see because he occupies almost the entire space between the two people. But if you take a closer look, you will discover something else: the wedding couple is very small in the back, then the door frame and some people attending the marriage ceremony. And finally, in the mirror is also the painter who holds the whole scene. The celebrity of the picture has its origin in this detail. The painting is a fine example of van Eyck's painting style: a mix of well-composed spaces and figures and a wealth of details.

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The Portrait of Giovanni Arnolfini and his Wife (The Arnolfini Marriage) by Jan van Eyck. Available as an art print on canvas, photo paper, watercolor board, natural paper, or Japanese paper.
mirror · candelabra · fidelity · ermine · symbolism · wedding · bedroom · reflection · interior · northern renaissance · husband · married · betrothal · interior · male · female · couple · iconic · National Gallery, London, UK / Bridgeman Images