The Arnolfini Portrait

The little round mirror behind the couple reflects their backs and two visitors in a doorway. Above it, Jan van Eyck wrote that he was here in 1434. The mirror extends the room towards the space in front of the painting, drawing the viewer into the encounter. The man is probably Giovanni di Nicolao di Arnolfini, an Italian merchant living in Bruges. The woman is probably his wife, whose identity is uncertain. Their costly clothes, the brass chandelier and even the imported oranges present a prosperous household. Look at the heavy green folds gathered against the woman’s body. They belong to her dress and do not establish a pregnancy. The couple’s gestures have also prompted different interpretations. The picture’s precise purpose remains uncertain, so a wedding ceremony should not be treated as a settled explanation. Van Eyck painted in oil on a wooden panel. Small reflections, cast shadows and changes of texture make the room convincing, even though he adjusted its space and objects to build the composition.