The Arnolfini Marriage

This painting confused me in my younger years but now forces me into a trans-like state as I observe it. I loved my Art History classes in college especially for the light they shed on the one question I asked a thousand times when viewing historical art pieces: "Why is this famous?" This piece, The Arnolfini Marriage by Jan van Eyck in 1434, had me shrugging it off as I did every other work of art that wasn't anime. I found the lack of large sparkly eyes to be dull and the extreme realism to be boring. Upon this art class, taught by Brother Bodily from Brigham Young University - Idaho, I learned of the irreplaceable significance of this masterpiece. What I remember the most of it are its busting-at-the-seams amount of symbolism and the technique used which no artist has been able to recreate since. The first question most viewers ask is "Is the lady pregnant?" This painting was commissioned by the man in the painting, as a wedding portrait. His wife is not pregnant but she is depicted holding her dress up to represent future pregnancy. The dog and green fabric likewise represent fertility. The bed is included because it's such a "member of the family", being the place where the children will be conceived as well as birthed.

There are countless other symbols, but let me continue on by discussing the technique. This was done in oil paint, which previously had not been used as a sole painting medium. Eych was the first known artist to use it for more than just a glaze for a finishing touch. All oil painters truly have him to thank for their material of choice. Not only did he pioneer oil painting, but he used it in such precision that it has yet to be duplicated. Observe the dog, for example. Most painters would not have painted every single strand of fur lest it should appear busy or overwhelming, and yet he managed to paint each minuscule detail without it becoming a distraction. The same can be said for the closeup shown. I do hope to see this painting in person so I can appreciate just how small and perfect each detail is.