jan van eyck version 3

His Masterpieces & his ‘The Arnolfini Marriage’ (1434) : 

His Masterpieces & his ‘The Arnolfini Marriage’ (1434) Jan Van Eyck First created. 20 Jun 2005. Version 3.2 22 Dec 2010. Jerry Tse, London. All rights reserve. Available free for non-profitable and non-commercial use only. 1434 c1390 -1441 1432 1435 1434

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Western painting made a decisive break with the past, in the 15th century over 500 years ago. Changes took place in the south, in Italy and in Flanders in the north (modern day Belgium & Netherlands). In Italy, it centred around Florence. In Flanders, it centred around the ports of Ghent, Brugge (Bruges) and Antwerpen (Antwerp). Flanders was the financial and cultural centre of Northern Europe; it was amongst the most prosperous places in Europe. Panoramic view of Florence 2003 Guild houses Ghent 2002 The Northern Renaissance

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Man in Tuban (probably a self-portrait). 1433. Van Eyck. National Gallery. London. A motto was found on this painting ‘Als ich kan’ (As I can). Jan van Eyck was born before 1390. Very little is known about his early life before 1422. He moved to Bruges in 1430 and lived there until he died in 1441. He was one of the greatest and most influential painters. His imagery was realistic, full of naturalistic details and he belonged to the Early Netherlandish School. Van Eyck is the first painter who used and mastered the technique of oil painting. He was employed as a court painter by Philip the Good, the powerful Duke of Burgundy, and enjoyed patronage of the rich and famous. He was also a diplomat and undertook numerous ambassadorial journey for the Duke. Apart from The Arnolfini Marriage, he also painted the Adoration of the Lamb, in 1432, Ghent ; The Madonna and Chancellor Rolin, c1435, Lourve ; Madonna and Child, c1434, Bruges. Jan van Eyck

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The Historical Context Da Vinci 1452-1519 Michelanglo 1475-1564 Campin 1375-1444 Van Eyck 1390-1441 When Van Eyck painted the Arnolfini Marriage, most of the famous Florentine painters were not yet born. It was painted over 70 years before Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa or Michelanglo’s Sistine chapel. Van Eyck’s painting look far more true to life than his contemporaries in Italy, as illustrated by the portrait of St Paul by Masaccio on the right. Van Eyck was simply years ahead of his Italian counterparts. San Paol. 1426. Masaccio. Italian. Museo Nazionale. Pisa. Robert Campin, who also painted in similar way is included in above for comparison.

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The Ghent Altarpiece The Ghent Altarpiece is one of the greatest artistic achievement of 15C (1432). The altarpiece is very large and was painted for the Cathedral of St Bavo. It was began by Hubert Van Eyck, Jan’s elder brother, but finished by Jan Van Eyck. The altarpiece is made up of two sides, the Exterior and the Interior. Interior of the altarpiece Exterior of the altarpiece

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The Ghent Altarpiece - Exterior When Ghent Altarpiece is closed, the paintings on the Exterior tells the story about the coming of Jesus.

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The Ghent Altarpiece - Interior

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The Ghent Alterpiece - Interior

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The Ghent Alterpiece - Interior

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Madonna & Child with Canon van de Paele

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Madonna & Child with Canon van de Paele Paele (right) was painted with bald and wrinkled head, holding his spectacle, which distorted the text in the book. Below is the detail of the costume of St Donatian and St George.

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A comparison with a Italian painting of same period – note the treatment of the costumes

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Madonna and Chancellor Rolin Nicolas Rolin was Chancellor of Burgundy and Brabant. The three arches are probably intended to symbolize the Trinity. Though the arches is a breathtaking landscape of a city, showing the mastery of Van Eyck in dealing with perspective and space.

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Madonna and Chancellor Rolin

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A comparison with the Italian landscape of same period Adoration of the Magi (detail). 1423 by Gentile de Fabriano, Uffizi St George and the Princess of Trebizond (detail). 1436 by Pisanello. Church of Sa Anstasia, Verona.

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The Arnolfini Wedding Most people are often disappointed or surprised when they see the painting for the first time because of its small size. About the same size as a small bathroom mirror. We see a rather ugly man with a big hat holding the hand of a woman, who looks like that she is pregnant, with strange hair and headdress standing in a rather small bedroom. We start to wonder why this is a masterpiece. We are not impressed! This is because we look at the painting through modern eyes and judge by aesthetics alone. We ignore the historical context in which it was painted. The Arnolfini Marriage.1434. 82x60 cm. Oil on Panel. Jan Van Eyck The National Gallery, London.

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The Technical Achievements How is it possible that reflections in the mirror appear so realistic, even before the laws of perspective were discovered? Between the late 1420s and the early 1430s, paintings in Flanders suddenly look much more photographic. Painters in Flanders had discovered use of the lens and projected images to help them to paint; employing a device called Camera Obscura to do this. Camera Obscura means ‘dark room’ in Latin. Van Eyck may have used such device. The mirror in the painting. Only 5 years separate the two portraits. Left. Masolino da Panicale c1425. Right Robert Campin c1430. A pair of spectacle painted by Jan Van Eyck in 1434. The Arnolfini Wedding

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Comparison of portraits of 15C of the northern Europe and Italy

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The Display of Wealth The house was built with bricks, as can be seen from the wall shown outside the window. Underneath the window, oranges are painted that could only have come from southern European. The couple are opulently dressed in fur and expensive white ermine. The Turkish carpet on the floor, the hangings on the bed, the mirror and the chandelier were all items of luxury. The man in the painting was Giovanni Arnolfini, a rich silk merchant from Lucca in Tuscany, who settled in Brugge. The lady in the painting was Giovanna Cenami, daughter of a prominent Italian financier. The entire painting is filled with objects of wealth. Details. Apple on the window ledge and oranges on the table. Details. Fur on Arnolfini’s cloth. Fur lining on Cenami’ cloth. Turkey carpet on the floor. The Arnolfini Marriage.1434. Jan Van Eyck. The Arnolfini Wedding

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Allegory & Cultural Symbols Mirror on the wall. Chandelier Giovanna’s clogs Giovanni’s clogs Dog Allegory is used by painters to represent abstract concepts like bravery, faith or royalty. Religious symbols can be found littered in the painting; apples as fruit from the Tree of Knowledge, the Carving of St Margaret patron saint of childbirth, Prayer beads and a single candle on the chandelier signifying the presence of Christ. In contrast, secular symbols were also used; dogs for fidelity, a bed for the consummation of marriage, the blue sleeves & the white lining worn by the lady denote purity, clogs cast away representing the abandoning of daily chores on this solemn occasion. The Arnolfini Wedding

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Was it a Marriage? The painting tells us this was an important occasion. Above the mirror, van Eyck wrote “Johannes de Eyck fuit hic 1434” (van Eyck was here) as witness to the occasion. The lone candle on the chandelier signifying the presence of Christ. So if this was a marriage, then why were only four persons present, two of whom only shown in the reflection on the mirror? Shouldn’t we expect more people? In the 15th Century it was customary for the couple to exchange vows before marriage; an engagement. The painting depicts the moment when Arnolfini took the hand of Cenami and raised his left hand, as he betrothed (vowed to marry) his future bride. In fact, the painting commemorates the Betrothal between Arnolfini and Cenami. Arnlfini became a councillor to the Duke of Burgundy and was knighted in 1462. He died in 1472 in Brugge, 38 years after the painting and two years before the birth of Michelanglo. Cenami died ten years later and the couple perished childless, with no evidence that they had raised any children. In 1470, Arnolfini was sued by a woman, who wanted jewellery that he had given her, returned to her. She also sought a pension and several houses that she had been promised. So it appears, Arnolfini may have married Cenami for her money after all. Jan van Eyck died seven years after he painted this picture. He is now widely recognized as one of the greatest painters who ever lived. Giovanni Arnolfini, also painted by van Eyck. Giovanna Cenami The Arnolfini Wedding

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The Arnolfini Marriage.1434. 82x60 cm. Oil on Panel. Jan Van Eyck The National Gallery, London. The End Music - Unchained Melody by Deborah Nyack