Art Crit

The Arnolfini Wedding by Jan van Eyck was painted in the year 1434 and is an oil painting on an oak panel of 3 vertical boards. The dimensions are 82.2 cm × 60 cm (32.4 in × 23.6 in). The Arnolfini Wedding, which is a fine art painting, shows a man and a woman, generally assumed to be the Arnolfinis, in what appears to be a lavish bedroom. Both are very well dressed, as opposed to wearing the garb of servants or peasants, and they are holding hands. The painting is of a generally symmetrical composition with the man and woman balancing each other out, standing on either side of a small circular mirror. The brass chandelier is large and elaborate, and other symbols of luxury are the elaborate bed-hangings and the carvings on the chair and bench against the back wall. The woman stands near the bed and well into the room, which is symbolic of her role as the caretaker of the house. The man stands near the open window, which symbolizes his career and life outside of the home. The symbolism behind the action of the couple's joined hands is of marriage. The little dog most likely symbolizes loyalty, and the two additional figures reflected in the mirror could be witnesses to the marriage. Three elements which are used are texture, color, and value. The texture of the tapestries, the colors such as the royal reds and greens, and the darker values contribute to its luxurious mood. The principles addressed are balance, as the two people balance each other, unity, as the figures are connected by their hands, and contrast between the reds in the background and the green of the lady’s garments.