The Arnolfini Portrait: The Mirror, the Signature and an Unsolved Identity
Jan van Eyck signed the wall, painted two tiny visitors into a mirror and left a question that is still open: who are the man and woman in the room?
The Arnolfini Portrait of 1434 is one of the most studied paintings of the 15th century. Its details are precise; its meaning and even its sitters are less certain than its title suggests.
A small panel, 1434
Jan van Eyck painted the portrait in oil on oak; it measures 84.5 × 62.5 cm. It belonged to Margaret of Austria by 1516 and was acquired by the National Gallery in London in 1842.1
Jan van Eyck was here
On the wall above the mirror Van Eyck wrote, in Latin, Johannes de eyck fuit hic 1434: Jan van Eyck was here, 1434. The convex mirror below reflects the couple from behind and two further figures in the doorway.1
Who is the couple?
The man is traditionally identified as a member of the Arnolfini family, Italian merchants in Bruges, often as Giovanni di Nicolao Arnolfini. The identification has not been proven.1
Objects in the room
The room is full of carefully painted objects: a chandelier with a single lit candle, a small dog in the foreground and oranges on the windowsill and chest.1
Our short video, in English, walks through the details of the room.
Sources
- 1The Arnolfini Portrait (NG186), in Lorne Campbell, The Fifteenth Century Netherlandish Schools (1998). The National Gallery, London, 1998
