It is not just an exquisitely detailed masterpiece, it hides some secret messages decoded by some, and is debated often. So, what is so special about the Arnolfini Portrait? Look at the masterpiece closely, it slowly absorbs you into the elaborate room and makes you a part of it.

Notice the level of precision in it! No doubt it is one of the most celebrated double portraits. Look at the realistic sense of space, the skillfully managed light, and the tightly controlled composition. This wealthy couple stands together in a splendidly furnished room. You see their back reflections in the intricately carved mirror right at the centre of the painting.

The Early Netherlandish painter Jan Van Eyck painted this intricate wonder in 1434 with oil paint on an oak panel. Here’s the list of unknown facts about the most celebrated works of this master painter. Stick to the end to the unknown secrets hidden behind the painting revealed after Infrared Reflectography.

1. Who is this man and woman?

There have been different opinions and views on the identity of this man and woman. They are for long thought to be Giovanni di Nicolao Arnolfini and his wife, Giovanna Cenami, daughter of an Italian banker. Arnolfini was an Italian merchant who lived in Bruges. Therefore, the painting is known as “the Arnolfini marriage”, until it was confirmed that they both were married before 1434 (the date written in the painting). Now, another speculation is that the couple is Arnolfini’s cousin and his wife.

You might also like:

What happened when Van Gogh’s Peasant Woman portrait was X-rayed?

Why these 9 artists called ‘National Treasure of India’?

2. What is the real purpose of The Arnolfini Portrait?

Well, the real purpose of the painting was to emphasise the wealth and social status of the couple in the 15th century Bruges.

Observe the interiors of the lavish Flemish house. It is richly furnished and both of them are adorned with the finest clothes. Both the figures and their proportions accentuate their stature in society. Every element in the painting reinforces the impression of the wealth and status of the couple.

Watch this video by The National Gallery to have a closer look at the masterpiece.

3. Master Jan Van Eyck – The early master of oil painting

If you ask, what is the most striking aspect of this painting? I would say, it is the artist’s dexterity. Van Eyck is said to have trained himself in using oil paints at a time when tempera paints were still popular. That makes him the earliest artist to perfect the skill of oil painting.

He used to build up layers, layers of paint, unbelievable details and texture and created an illusion of real objects and people. Notice the fur linings of the couple’s robes. You see the painstaking efforts the artist had put to reproduce the look of the soft-to-touch fabric. The wooden floor seems to have worn grain, and the oranges on the window sill and table look so fresh and ready-to-eat.

4. The secretive mirror – The Arnolfini portrait

The more you observe the more you appreciate the spell-binding mastery of the artist. The most intriguing bit of this painting is the exquisitely adorned convex mirror placed in the centre of the rear wall. You see intricate illustrations of Jesus’s Crucifixion on the miniature medallions and other stories of Christ. In fact, even the two visitors behind the viewer, standing in the open doorway are clearly visible in the convex mirror. Well, not just that, you see another window and the wooden beams of the ceiling.

If you are an art enthusiast, then I am sure it must have reminded you of Las Menias, a masterpiece by Velazquez. It was two centuries later that Velazquez imitated Van Eyck’s mirror in his 1656 work.

So, coming back to the couple, in the centre of the picture, we see them holding hands. Well, the holding is not firm. You see the man formally holding the woman’s limp hand in his palm quite delicately. The formality is conveyed through the well-arranged woman’s robe and the man’s raised hand which suggests he is taking an oath.

You might also like to read:

Rabindranath Tagore in new light as the Master Artist

An insight into the life of legendary cartoonist Mario Miranda

5. Was this union unequal?

Did you notice, that Arnolfini takes his wife’s hand in his left hand and not right? There is something known as “left-handed marriage” or “Morganatic marriage” which symbolises the union of unequal social rank – a royal person and a commoner. In such a marriage the husband’s titles and privileges don’t go to his spouse or any children they have. Such marriages are quite rare today.

6. Priest or witnesses or none of them?

Then we understand why the two people are standing in the doorway. They could be witnesses to Arnolfini and Cenami’s wedding.

So, probably the two witnesses are present to validate this financial contract drawn up during such marriage. Another possibility is that they were not present for the ceremony in the first place. Interestingly, in 15th century Bruges, you don’t need any priest or witnesses for a marriage?! Yes, a couple would marry themselves, and the following day they attend the communion together to confirm their union.

Other art historians say it could be the artist himself and the second man could be his servant.

Wait. There is more to this marriage than what meets your eye.

You might also like:

10 Most Costly Indian paintings you should know

10 Things That Make a Painting Expensive – Art Collectors Perspective

7. The great confusion continues

Another speculation is, that if the couple is Giovanni di Nicolao Arnolfini and Giovanna Cenami, then the marriage of unequal is unquestionable, as Giovanna was equally well connected. However, in 1997, it was found that they were not married until 1447. That is around thirteen years after this painting was created and the death of Jan Van Eyck after six years. Apparently, it was his brother Michele and his wife who had married around that time in Bruges.

Well, other art historians differ in their opinions. They say it might be Giovanni di Nicolao Arnolfini and his first wife Costanza Trenta. Speculations are still on!

8. Pregnant or not?

Those who see this painting often wonder about the woman’s pregnancy. Other than her rounded belly, other minor details suggest she is carrying a child. However, on the flip side, it could be possible that she is just holding up her dress just to show the fold of her rich fabric. The next point will put more light on this speculation.

9. Carved Statue

You notice a carved figure of St. Margaret with a dragon on the back of what looks like a bedpost. She is the patron saint of childbirth, which means that there is a possibility that the wife could be pregnant. On the left, there is a hanging brush which is associated with the patron saint of housewives, St. Martha.

10. Chandelier

Further, looking at the painting closely you find another odd sight. There is a single candle burning in the chandelier. One speculation is that the candle represents the omnipresent Christ who witnesses the marriage vows in his invisible presence. Observe the other signs such as the prayer beads hung on the wall, and miniature paintings of Christ on the mirror, together showing the devotion of the couple.

11. Put off the shoes from thy feet…

The symbolism and iconography of this double portrait are almost endless and complex. For instance, the wooden clogs in the bottom left-hand corner of the painting might be referring to the quote “Put off the shoes from thy feet…” in the Book of Exodus. It conveys the sacred nature of the event happening in the room.

Look at these typical shoes closely, you see the fine detail of wooden grain and mud. You also see the daintier red shoes of his wife beneath the mirror, under the bench.

12. Why the DOG?

Well, it has its significance. In fact, you’ll see a dog in most of the paintings from the Renaissance era. Why? As you know a dog signifies loyalty and is a faithful companion. So whenever, the artist wanted to show these values through their work, the dog was a commonly used visual symbol.

In this artwork, you see the dog standing right between the feet of its owner, in a way uniting them in fidelity.

The dog could be simply a lap dog, a gift from husband to wife. Many wealthy women in the court had lap dogs as companions, reflecting the wealth of the couple and their position in courtly life.

13. Jan van Eyck’s unusual signature

You see a Latin inscription right at the centre, with the date 1434. It literally translates to “Jan van Eyck was here”. It is one of the several unclear elements of the painting. Apparently, Jan van Eyck often creatively signed his works.

14. Provenance – The afterlife of The Arnolfini Portrait

By the 16th century, the masterpiece was in the hands of Margaret of Austria, Regent of the Netherlands. Later it was passed down to the Spanish royal collection. Next, it appeared in the possession of a Scottish soldier, James Hay in Spain during the Peninsular War (1807–14). It is unclear how Hay possessed it, however, he brought it back to England. Some say, it was offered to the crown but eventually it was declined. In 1842, the National Gallery purchased the Arnolfini Portrait for £600, apparently, the first Netherlandish painting in the gallery. According to the current estimates, if the work is ever sent for an auction, it will fetch over £100 million!

15. The technique

Proficiency in oil painting

During that time tempera paints were quite popular among artists. However, Jan Van Eyck mastered using oils to bind powdered pigments. His level of precision and proficiency was like never seen before. His techniques were super innovative and influential too.

Illusion of realism in the Arnolfini Portrait

He used numerous thin layers of translucent glazes to create effects for different textures and set the right tone and colour. The glowing colours created an illusion of realism and showcased the opulence of Arnolfini’s portrait. He could showcase light on the surface with an extraordinary skill like no other. You will see his mastery in using oils in the magical reflection he rendered of the mirror and the gleams of the chandelier.

You might also like:

Why the Italian painters used ‘Gesso’? Everything you need to know about this important art supply

How to mix pigments to get a perfect colour every time? All you need to know

Alla Prima

Why oil paints? Well, Van Eyck took advantage of the slow drying time of the oil paints. It gave him enough time to blend colours using the wet-on-wet (alla prima) technique. It allowed him to show subtle contrast in light and shadows which gave the work a three-dimensional illusion.

You see, renaissance painters commonly used this alla prima technique to create life-like works. Van Eyck’s proficiency allowed him to render unbelievable effects of direct and diffuse light. Notice how he showed the light coming through the left window and its reflection on various surfaces.

Using magnifying glass for finer details

Interestingly, it is said that he used a magnifying glass to render finer details such as the wood grain and mud on Arnolfini’s shoes or the mini Christ paintings on the intricate mirror.

Quick and free brush strokes

For a painting so intricate, it is quite surprising to know that the work was quick and freely painted. The artist to get the tiny touches of the colour, almost bounced the paintbrush off the panel. He used the points of his brush handles and fingers too to add textures. Look closely and you even see his thumbprint near the dog’s leg shadow. You also see the bristles of the brush scratched into the paint hanging by the bed.

16. The Arnolfini Portrait Composition

Jan Van Eyck created a sense of depth and amazing illusion of the room’s space using perspective. The straight lines of the floorboard, the angle of window frames and the bed lines merge and draw your eye to the centre of the composition, the vanishing point, the mirror.

You might also like:

How to make your art look like a Pro? Secrets of World-famous Master Artists

17. The hidden secrets of the Arnolfini Portrait

Loads of secrets were unveiled when the picture went through Infrared Reflectography. They found several stages of the artist’s underdrawing. In the first sketch, he rendered the figures, the basic architecture of the room, and the furniture. He skipped sketching many objects in the work which are now famous: the watchful dog, the chair, the chandelier, the shoes and the beads hanging on the wall. All of these were painted at later stages.

The man and woman’s bodies and faces were also altered. In the initial sketch, the man had odd features. His face and hat were larger, his feet were in a different position, and his robes were shorter. The woman looked up at her husband. She had lower features and a higher forehead.

Van Eyck is said to often manipulate his sitters‘ appearance, emphasising their hands and heads. However, the faces, especially Arnolfini’s have been altered quite substantially. It seems Arnolfini was a strange-looking man. Later in the second underdrawing, the artist improvised the features and proportions.

It is said that even the room is what it seems to be. A close examination of the work discloses inconsistencies. For instance, it seems as if the artist has simply removed one wall. The chandelier doesn’t seem to fit into the space, no signs of the fireplace, the convex mirror looks impossibly large, and the bed looks too short.

As typical of van Eyck, he manifested a perfect, convincing composition of reality, and altered things creatively to fit the aesthetic purposes, as per his patron’s accord.

18. Life of the artist – Jan Van Eyck

(c.1390 – 1441)

Jan Van Eyck was one of the greatest painters known for his mastery over oil paintings in the northern renaissance. He was famous for his unique ability to create extremely intricate paintings.

Apparently, Van Eyck, in his early years trained as a manuscript illuminator. This could be the reason why he gained proficient observation skills and an eye for detail. In his early years, he often showed interest in rendering people in the landscape, quite unusual for artists at that time.

In 1422, he first worked in The Hague as a court painter of Holland, John III of Bavaria. After John’s death in 1425, he moved to Bruges to become a painter at the court of Philip The Good, the Duke of Burgundy. This post offered opportunities for travel.

The scenery and works of art he encountered inspired Van Eyck. The Arnolfini portrait and the Ghent Altarpiece are his most celebrated works and display not only his acute powers of observation but also his naturalism and superb craftmanship, particularly when describing the fall of light.

Other references:

Great Paintings: The World’s Masterpieces Explored and Explained book

Jan Van Eyck – The Arnolfini Portrait (The National Gallery)

The Arnolfini Portrait by Jan van Eyck Interpretation of Flemish Oil Painting: The Arnolfini Marriage

Did you find this blog post helpful? If yes, subscribe to our exclusive list to get more such content right into your inbox.

The post 18 Unknown Facts Of The Arnolfini Portrait – Art Simplified first appeared on .