User:JuliaGaw/sandbox

Giovanni Arnolfini and His Bride by Jan Van Eyck

Jan Van Eyck was an early Renaissance painter from the Netherlands. He is arguably most known for his painting "Giovanni Arnolfini and His Bride", an oil paining he created in 1434. It's incredibly detailed and rich in colour. The paintings depicts a newly wed couple holding hands and standing in what is presumably their bedroom. There is a great deal of symbolism in this painting. We can see the couple dressed in heavy, winter clothes made of high quality fabric, which is the first obvious sign of their wealth. Another giveaway are the oranges on the windowsill, which likely would've been imported and it was expensive to do so. It's also possible the fruit is a symbol for fertility. Another interesting element, and possibly the most important one is the dog standing at the couples' feet, who serves to represent loyalty, to their owners and even between the couple themselves. Lastly, the colour of the bed sheets, red, could symbolize love and passion.

Focusing more on the features in the background we see a round mirror with the Passion of Christ painted into the wooden frame. Additionally a single candle is lit above the couple which could be a representation of God's presence and maybe even protection in their relationship. Inside the mirror we see a third person in the room. One possibility is that it's meant to be the person looking at the painting, a sort of fourth wall, and they are interrupting a private moment between the married coupe. Another theory is that that's the artist himself. Overall the painting is a warm, romantic and intimate scene filled with clever symbolism.