Arnolfini Portrait Analysis

The Arnolfini Portrait, created by Jan van Eyck, is a complex oil painting that was created in 1434. It is a representational work because it references real life events, which in this case, are the marriage rituals of that day in age between husband and wife. For the very first time in history, van Eyck became the perfect eye-witness in the truest sense of the term. This portrait is very complex due to the fact of its iconography. It is very symbolic and has been interpreted in several, countless ways for over 500 years.

In the fifteenth century, the portrait's repertoire was widely understood for the most part, but as the years go on, its meaning to the average viewer has dwindled. Some examples of the symbolism in the portrait are the touching
These luminous colors help to highlight the realism, and also to show the material wealth and abundance of Arnolfini. He achieved subtle contrast between light and shade to enhance the illusion of three-dimensional forms. It is known as one of the most original Western paintings given its geometric orthogonal perspective. The use of the mirror on the wall to reflect the space, and that the portrait is considered unique by some art historians as the record of a marriage contract in the form of a painting. It has been proposed that he used a magnifying glass in order to paint the minute details such as the individual highlights on all of the amber beads hanging along the mirror. It's considered as new and revolutionary. The painting is chiefly in good condition, although it has small losses of the original paint and damages, which have mostly been restored. Through this painting, van Eyck helped the viewers see the world in an innovative aspect, he made visual record of important people during their time, made structures more pleasurable by imbuing them with meaning, and gave form to the