“Giovanni Arnolfini and his bride” or “Portrait of the Arnolfini” is a masterpiece written by Jan van Eyck in 1434. The painting represents the best and most challenging artwork of the Northern Renaissance Western School. While most experts indicate that Arnolfini and his bride are depicted, some suggest that they can be Eyck’s friends and represent relatives of the Arnolfini family.
Explanation:
“Portrait of the Arnolfini” is a fascinating canvas. From one small painting made with a brush by Jan van Eyck, you can find many exciting things. Van Eyck could be enticed not only by being the artist but also by being the philosopher-thinker.
“Portrait of the Arnolfini” is considered one of the most challenging works presented in the painting by the Northern Renaissance Western School. The “Portrait of the Arnolfini,” which made the artist famous and still causes controversy. It is now in London at the National Gallery.
There is a lot of mystery in this picture, as its name was unknown at first. Only a hundred years later, experts and scholars examined memoirs of the artist’s contemporaries. They studied them and located the book “Great portrait of Hernoult le Fin in the room with his wife.” It is known that Hernoult le Fin is a French form of the surname Arnolfini (Italian).
He represented a large banking and merchant family, which had offices in Bruges at the time. It has long been believed that Giovanni Arnolfini and his bride, named Giovanna Chinami, are pictured on the canvas. However, it was established in 1997 that a man and a woman only married in 1447, that is, 13 years after the painting appeared, and six years after the death of artist van Eyck.
It is believed today that this picture depicts Arnolfini with his ex-wife or his cousin with his wife. He also was an Italian merchant formerly from Lucca. He has lived in Bruges since 1419. Van Eyck painted his portrait, which suggests that the man was a friend of the artist.