Last Wednesday we began class by studying Flemish painter Jan van Eyck’s “The Arnolfini Portrait,” painted in 1434. The painting depicts a man and woman in the process of exchanging vows with one another. The painting arises multiple questions for the viewer, for example why is the room a mess?, or is the woman pregnant? What does the mirror on the wall represent?, and perhaps, what does the burning candlestick during the daytime entail? As a class, we examined these ideas and arrived at perhaps the most striking detail: van Eyck, himself, is pictured in the mirror, wearing a red turban, witnessing the marriage. Later to learn, these tricks and details are typical of van Eyck and are one of the several ways he influenced other artists at the time.
Continuing on, we studied Rogier van der Weyden’s St. Luke Drawing the Virgin. van der Weyden, one of the most prominent painter in Brussels at the time, was known for his “happy babies,” intriquite details, such as the minuscule people in the background of his work who are dressed in traditional attire, and his disguised symbolism. I was most drawn to this work, because of its light versus dark features. The foreground of the painting displays dark colors, while the matrix is bright and luminous. Lastly, we studied two artists, Hans Mewling and Conrad Witz. Memling’s Diptych of Maarten van Nieuwenhove displays two panels, yet the panels display a slight illusion, displaying the two figures in the room together. The overall theme, though, presents the notion that because of prayer one can meet the virgin, and even be in the same space as the virgin. The works from class last week presented illusions, deceptiveness, and clever details for the viewer, but I was ultimately drawn to the rich blue, green, and red colors and delicate facial expressions.