"Marriage…is something to do, not something done."
Emile-Auguste Chartier (philosopher)
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Oh happy day! The couple depicted in The Arnolfini Portrait has something to celebrate. Dressed to the nines, the elegant Giovanni and Giovanna are ringing in their wedding day. Or at least, that’s what some art historians would have you believe…
Formulated nearly a century ago, this theory has been widely circulated ever since. But is this really an image of two beings bound in holy matrimony?
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Jan van Eyck, "The Arnolfini Portrait", 1434, oil on oak, 32.4 × 23.6 in, National Gallery, London.
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Erwin Panofsky, a respected critic and scholar, suggested as much. He argued that the canvas, painted in 1434 by the Flemish artist Jan van Eyck, was commissioned by the wealthy merchant Arnolfini in honor of his union.
Did he cite any evidence to back up his claim? Tons! From top to bottom, the painting is bursting with visual symbols. The little dog standing at the feet of its owners? A reference to fidelity. The single candle burning in the chandelier? A sign of divine presence. Even the displaced shoes signify that something sacred is taking place.
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Details of the small dog and the single burning candle.
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Any remaining doubts about their newlywed status? Speak now or forever hold your…
Wait! After Panofsky’s passing an important document was discovered, unravelling the professor’s theory and, with it, the art world’s long-held understanding of this Northern Renaissance masterpiece.
Giovanni and Giovanna were wed… 13 years after this canvas was finished. The painting can’t possibly be a marker of their marriage.
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Details of the discarded shoes.
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Today, historians have gone back to the drawing board, reconsidering the subject and meaning of The Arnolfini Portrait. Married or not, one has to admit that "keeping the mystery alive" for 600 years is no easy feat!
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Detail of the mirror; two figures standing in the doorway are visible in its reflection.
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 Marriage…is something to do, not something done.
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Emile-Auguste Chartier (philosopher) 
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Jan van Eyck, "Portrait of a Man (Self Portrait?)", 1433, oil on oak, 10 x 7.5 in, National Gallery, London.
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When was The Arnolfini Portrait painted?
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Contact Co-Founders Coline and Jean at hello@artips.co.
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