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Date : 1434
Sizes : 60 cm x 82 cm
Material : Peinture à l'huile sur chêne
Acquisition : Purchase (1842)
| The Arnolfini Portrait
Item 12 on 13
Italian Painting
Painting
Area related
Bruges (Belgium)
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| Description |  |
The male figure is probably Giovanni di Nicolao Arnolfini, a member of a wealthy Italian merchant family. He lived in Bruges in the Low Countries. The picture is often interpreted as a depiction of a marriage ceremony. It is in fact a particularly elaborate portrait of Arnolfini and his wife.
The couple is shown in a richly furnished living room; beds were a common feature of such rooms. On the wall is a mirror, the frame ornamented with scenes from the Passion. In the mirror is a reflection of two additional figures in a doorway. Arnolfini's hand is raised, perhaps to greet them.
The Latin inscription on the wall above the mirror translates : "Jan van Eyck has been here". This may be an indication that the artist is one of the figures in the reflection. It certainly refers to his authorship.
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