ARTH 2020/4007 Jan van Eyck 5: Arnolfini Double Portrait

[@ina268]

Excellent in-depth lecture, what a privilege to listen! Feels like being back at university.

[@xmaseveeve5259]

This is really excellent. Thank you.

[@charlessnarls3902]

His wife and the baby died in childbirth. He loved he very much. His wife (body language)and unborn baby ( gathered cloth, green for fertility ) died (hands do not clasp, missing candles in chandelier, red bed and birthing chair, empty slippers, fallen fruit). He loved her (commissioned memorial painting, wearing black, faithful dog between them, hand is blessing her memory, he is focused on us -he whats us the world to remember his love). He has come in from the dirty world and has taken off his clogs because this room is sacred ground. Am I close?

[@weimaggie1944]

Charles Snarls agree with your theory

[@mariacrivell79]

Thank you I love your lectures . It is very well explained!! Great!!!

[@rg3388]

At least 8 elements in this painting can be found in Paul Thomas Anderson's film "Phantom Thread," where they can easily be seen as having Panofskian functions.

[@ina268]

Now, having listened to this comprehensively informative lecture and other online sources, I believe this is a portrait of the presumptive second Mrs. Arnolfini, not a memorial portrait of his late first wife (however enchanting is that poignant vision of a faithful husband paying tribute to the one and only love of his life). If the first wife died childless, it would have been mockery of her to put all these typical for the time female fertility hints into the painting. Here, I think, the painter expressed all the best wishes via plenty of symbolical objects for his client's current and future material welfare (including a hope for offsprings), not Mr. Arnolfini's presumptive immortal unity with his first wife. PS. But I love that it's possible to interpret the painting either way!

[@shereenaqvi]

Fantastic lecture!! Thank you very much! Please keep making useful videos like that. This video helped a lot for degree essay.

[@xmaseveeve5259]

Where's the rest of it? What did you say? I felt you were going somewhere.

[@art-tour]

Margaret Koster - Art Historian - has a very nice explication about this portret !!!

[@MSYNGWIE12]

must be me- her vice got on my nerves and I prefer an American hubby and wife pair of PhD's newer interpretation of the work as a tribute to the wife as she is deceased- wish I could remember where I found the talk on youtube. Convinced me to take a completely fresh think on the work. Hello from not a prof just a BA!

[@tamaradovgan5318]

@@MSYNGWIE12 " wife" is Margaret Koster!

[@punkuddha]

Is Eve pregnant? Dr. Hull claims she's not. Any more thoughts on that?

[@punkuddha]

Sorry, I'm writing about Ghent Altarpiece.

[@MSYNGWIE12]

the wife is NOT pregnant- is the style of the dress and a husband and wife team of American art historians regard this as a tribute to her since she is deceased- take a closer look- I wish I could remember what site it was on on ytube- very interesting- made more sense to me, all the imagery reexamined- yes only an opinion but they present a VERY strong case. If I find the vid I will notify you- this is one of my most admired images (when I was an a. h. student and still)- so enigmatic. I thought the lady was preggers to and I stood up- answered no questions for the rest of the lecture! got laughed at by classmates not the prof! Cheerio fellow art lover in Canada

[@thebones]

'Virgin Saints are not pregnant'.........lol.......interesting video, I enjoyed it very much, thank you.

[@stellarluminocity4361]

I think it's a portrait of a couple who have been married rather recently. They decided to commission a portrait of themselves in their youth and prime(also the man isn't that young but the lady is) because back then no photographs. I don't think it's necessarily a display of wealth but more of a snippet of their daily life. To me it looks too casual to be a display of wealth. Although they are obviously wealthy but to me they aren't displaying wealth but themselves! Wealth just happens to be around them and is the environment they live in. It's also not a display of wealth because the lack of jewellery on such a wealthy lady or any gold embroidery on the dress. It is the clothes that they would wear in their everyday life, beautiful but practical clothes, not showy clothes. Also, the whole atmosphere is rather casual, look at the slippers just casually lying to the left. Also my personal observation about that lady in the green dress. Look at the artist's portrait of "Margaret", the artist's wife. She looks exactly like this lady in green but older! Also look at the self portrait of the artist, where he is in the red hat. He looks like the man in this Arnolfini painting! My theory is that the artist made the Arnolfini couple look like himself and his wife!

[@xmaseveeve5259]

See the gold cuffs.

[@ericashmusic8889]

Good Vid- but,..Note :- he was newly married-& so commisioned the Artist to paint 'Bride & Groom'. as this portrait shows..however, like many devil-may-care 'Artistes' they tend to turn up when they please,.( again, as this portrait shows ) 5-6-7 months ,sometimes ( a year-or two ) after being asked. Arnolfini was proved to be an astute business man & would not, in ' his real' world have allowed future generations to see that his wife was ungodly..and that this was an arranged 'musket marriage' !! ( read 'Shotgun' -USA ) Whoever the narrator is, should be relieved of their post. Asking stupid questions-" what this painting " { and like any & every other self evident painting means ) ? means, is, to all rational logical & experienced individuals, it is simply self evident & self explanatory. An early 15th Cent' well to do household, but on a casual day, . Dog free to run about the floor, fruit on the cill, shoes scattered ,all very simple, natural & pleasant..except for Arnolfini's clothes shouting ' Look how rich I am ' statement. ( And why not !!-he had every right. ) If you want to show how clever you are 'spot the mistake' Jan, like a lot of artist's, had a sense of impish humour and sneakily has a gest..at all.

[@GaryAskwith1in5]

Atmos the narrator at 1.22s explains she doesn’t ever offer definitive explanations as she may have in the past because new knowledge is always evolving, she is offering options and encourages listeners to come to there own conclusions so your criticism is uninformed. Did you watch all the video?

[@fabiotash]

I think she is pregnant

[@xmaseveeve5259]

Of course. I agree.

[@DakotaSpawn]

With every subtle jab you take at men, you succeed in tearing down any credibility that may be otherwise inherent with your doctorates degree and show your true colors as a simple sexist. Otherwise, great video.

[@AdderallPopsicle]

I didn't realize being sensitive made other's doctorates invalid lmao

[@GaryAskwith1in5]

I don’t think she was taking jabs at men, she was simply framing the context to its historical period, and also the narrator at 1.22s explains she doesn’t ever offer definitive explanations as she may have in the past because new knowledge is always evolving, she is offering options for interpretation from the research of other scholars and encourages listeners to come to their own conclusions so your criticism is uninformed. Did you watch all the video?

[@johanericsson2403]

Now report back to your reddit for incels that you took it to some art historian

[@xmaseveeve5259]

What a silly comment.

[@xmaseveeve5259]

@@johanericsson2403 The inadequacy and jealousy are palpable.