Stepping away from the Italian Renaissance, we can also witness the effects of humanism on the Northern Renaissance by studying the Arnolfini Wedding Portrait by Jan Van Eyck. The Arnolfini Wedding Portrait is oil on oak panel, and stands 82cm high, by 60cm wide and was created in 1434. The humanist principles of dynamic self and individual dignity Van Eyck expresses in this portrait are shown through his incorporation of symbols, Van Eyck’s attention to detail and his revolutionary use of reflection. Van Eyck is known for using oil paint in a way it had never been used before in the Northern Renaissance, to create a luminous effect and richness of colour that tempura couldn’t achieve.
Within this portrait are multiple symbols, including the small dog in the foreground symbolising fidelity and loyalty as associate with marriage, but most symbols are signs of the Arnolfini family’s wealth. Starting with the couple’s dress, we can see how the male figure (Arnolfini) is swathed in furs and silks, with an overly large hat sitting on his head, representing an abundance of wealth in this time. The female figure in the large green dress is presented with a stiff lace head piece, a fur and frayed dress lining, but most noticeable is the bulge of her stomach. Contrary to popular belief, this isn’t a representation of a woman who is pregnant, but is really a depiction of a woman wearing a garment of the highest fashion from her time and although at first glance it seems as if she is resting her hand on her belly like a typical pregnant woman, instead she is “simply managing the weight of a very heavy garment.” (Simpson). But along with their garments, signs of their wealth also include the oranges (a very expensive and luxurious fruit of the 15th century) carelessly laid around the room, the decorative and embellished candelabrum hanging in the centre of the room, and the very eloquent rug on the floor is not only an expression of wealth, but also of expensive taste. Nearly every item in the room can be linked to the wealth of the Arnolfini family, as described by Amanda Simpson, “the rooms in which Arnolfini and his wife stand is sparsely furnished, but each item is indicative of the wealth of the owner”. The main furnishing of the room is the large red bed on the right hand side of the portrait, which does not prove this room to be a bedroom, but instead a greeting room, where they have displayed a bed for the specific purpose of displaying their wealth, as traditional of their time. Along with symbols of wealth, are smaller more subtle signs, such as the single candle on the candelabrum, which could symbolise the presence of god, or just be a technique for telling the time. But seeing as this is supposedly a wedding portrait, there are also signs of the virtues associated with marriage, “the fruit, the beads, the lively small dog placed so prominently in the foreground can all be related to chastity and the state of marriage.” (Simpson). Each of these symbols which display the couples monetary and marital status point towards the humanist principle of individualism. This is because it has highlighted the principle of being independent, self-reliant and free, as the Arnolfini family are extremely well off, and want the fact that they are a high status couple to be noticed by all who view the portrait so as to earn themselves individual dignity through the commissioning of this portrait.
Although it is a rather small painting, Van Eyck has spared no detail and instead, has displayed his extraordinary skill as a painter through his attention to detail. One area where Van Eyck has paid close attention to in his Arnolfini Wedding Portrait, are the different textures in the room. “the double portrait displays all the amazing virtuosity in dealing with textures which is so vital a part of van Eyck’s work- the elaborate stitching of the woman’s sleeves, her husband’s straw hat, the effect of light on the candelabrum, the beads and the little dogs silky hair.” (Simpson). Van Eyck has a way of allowing each of these textures to appear as they would feel e.g. the candelabrum is shown as metallic, and you get the impression that if you really were in the room and able to touch it, it would feel solid and cold. The dog itself even looks soft, and it’s very possible that Van Eyck went to the effort of using a single haired brush to achieve this effect in its fur. Not much is missed by Van Eyck, and he has even been able to capture the rich, luminous but also subtle light sourced from the window and how it reflects off of the objects and the faces of the couple in the room. This creates a shadow effect on the right side of the room and a true three-dimensional effect on the objects depicted in the painting. Most significantly perhaps, is the attention to detail given to the mirror on the far wall of the room, where on each roundel of its frame contains a scene from The Passion, starting from the scene at the bottom and moving clockwise, the sequence is the Agony in the Garden, the Taking of Christ, Christ before Pilate, the Flagellation, the Carrying of the Cross, the Crucifixion, the Deposition, the Entombment, Christ in Limbo, and the Resurrection. It is important to note that due to the size of this portrait, these roundels and the scenes they depict are only about 1cm wide each, so it’s hard to imagine Van Eyck using anything other than a single hair paintbrush, or rushing these small images. Again, the humanist principle of individualism is represented in this portrait as Van Eyck’s personal search for individual dignity inspired him to begin making a name for himself as a portrait painter, and the right to be remembered for his work and achievements. His attention to detail in this portrait gave him a chance to demonstrate his personal knowledge of oil paints and his skill of portrait painting to the private public of the higher class, which would ultimately lead to him becoming one of the greatest portrait painters of the early fifteenth century.
Even with everything that’s going on in this painting, the viewer’s gaze is constantly drawn back to one particular space, one particular object in this painting- the mirror. Located on the back wall directly between the two figures, the mirror represents the humanist principle dynamic self as it directs us towards an interest in people, specifically Van Eyck, and what he is capable of as an artist. This is because of his revolutionary and unique use of reflection. This circular, almost fish eye mirror, reflects the room including “not only the backs of Arnolfini and his wife, but also two figures entering the doorway, and beyond them a tiny square of daylight.” (Simpson). The detail of this reflection is stupendous, and each figure, each image, is clear and realistic, which was an epic accomplishment for such a small space. The two unidentified figures (one in blue one in red) are, although completely separate from portrait as a whole, quite a breakthrough in the artwork. This is because we are possibly able to identify the blue figure as Van Eyck himself. Above the mirror, Van Eyck has signed the painting with an inscription that reads, ‘Johannes de Eyck fuit hic. 1434.’ “The singular wording of this inscription – ‘fuit hic’, was here’, or ‘has been here’ – instead of the more usual ‘fecit’, ‘made this’ can only mean exactly what it says, that Jan himself was present on the occasion of this particular ceremony, and he could well be one of the two figures entering the room.” This is taking an artist painting himself into an artwork a whole step further, as he has done it so subtly and so precisely, that no other artists could compare to it, making it completely unique and great. Following the Principle of dynamic self, humanists and artists like Van Eyck, still saw human being existing in a universe guided by God, but also possessing powerful capabilities of body and spirit, capable of greatness. By pursuing an interest in portrait painting, Van Eyck has already followed his interest in man, but by using his fine skills to incorporate his own image into a portrait in such a splendid way, he has shown his belief in Protagoras’ theory that “of all things the measure is man” and is gladly following the humanist principle of dynamic self to express these discoveries of what man and men are capable of.
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