Arnolfini marriage: a work of art in an English classrom (level:B1)
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How to describe a work of art but useful to learn vocabulary to describe people and/or a given situation.
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Arnolfini marriage: a work of art in an English classrom (level:B1)
- 1. THE ARNOLFINI MARRIAGE How to talk about a work of art in the classroom (Level B1) by Claudia Baruzzi
- 4. who? when? what? Work of art how? where?
- 5. …is it? ?
- 6. …is it? A painting
- 7. …painted it? ?? Profession: ? Nationality: ?
- 8. …painted it? JJAANN VVAANN EEIICCKK Profession: Painter Nationality: Dutch
- 9. HOW? Material: OIL ON WOOD Size: RECTANGULAR Dimension Height: 81.8 cm Length: 59.7 cm
- 10. in 1434
- 11. in 1434
- 12. in 1434 in the first half of the 15th century
- 13. IN BRUGES in BELGIUM In the National Gallery IN LONDON
- 15. This is Belgium…what’s its capital?
- 16. How many provinces in Belgium? Look at the colours…
- 17. Can you guess how many languages are spoken? Which language is spoken In Flanders? Which language is spoken In Wallonia? In Brussels, people speak….
- 18. Let’s check… Dutch (or Flemish) is spoken in Flanders. French is spoken in Wallonia. In Brussels, people speak both Dutch and French.
- 19. Country: Belgium Region: Flanders Province: West Flanders Capital: Bruges (in French) or Brugge (in Dutch)
- 21. In the top right(hand) corner In the top left(hand) corner On the left On the right In the bottom right(hand) corner In the bottom left(hand) corner At the top In the back in the middle In the front At the bottom
- 22. • LOCATIONS • On the right/left • Near the….(VICINO A,,) • By the….(PRESSO…) • IN the… • On the…. • Under…… • Opposite….(di fronte, faccia a faccia) • In front of… (DAVANTI A..) • Between….. • Behind….. • ACTIONS (present progressive tense) • The man/ the woman is ________ing • CLOTHING • WHAT’s the MAN/WOMAN wearing? • HE/SHE’s wearing a…….. • OPINIONS • I think….. • It looks like she might be … • Perhaps/maybe she is… • They look serious /They appear to be tired/happy • They must be… / they can’t be LET’S DESCRIBE THE PAINTING! What do you see in the picture?
- 23. SOME INFORMAATION ABOUT THE PAINTING THE MARRIAGE OF GIOVANNI ARNOLFINI AND GIOVANNA CENAMI • Why this title? • Because it was thought to be a form of ``wedding certificate'' for Giovanni Arnolfini and Giovanna Cenami, who married in Bruges in 1434. • They are portrayed in the bedchamber of the home where they will live in Bruges, Flanders.
- 24. What does the placement of the two figures suggest? • It suggests conventional 15th century views of marriage and gender roles: • the woman stands near the bed and well into the room, symbolic of her role as the caretaker of the house, • whereas Giovanni stands near the open window, symbolic of his role in the outside world. • Giovanni looks directly out at the viewer, his wife looks obediently at her husband. She does not look down at the floor, like lower class women would do, suggesting her equality to her husband.
- 25. Giovanna: the bride • Her name: Giovanna • Her surname: Cenami • Giovanna’s father: a rich Italian merchant • Her mother: a French lady • Hometown: Paris
- 26. Giovanni: the groom • Name: Giavanni • Surname: Arnolfini • Job: rich and powerful Italian merchant who settled in Flanders. • His RIGHT hand is vertically raised, representing his commanding position of authority.
- 27. Objects in the painting • The clogs • The convex mirror • The breed dog • The medallions around the mirror’s frame • The rosary • The seven branched chandelier • The oranges
- 28. Objects in the painting • The clogs = gli zoccoli • The convex mirror = lo specchio convesso • A breed dog = un cane di razza • The medallions around the mirror’s frame = I medaglioni attorno alla cornice dello specchio • The brush = la scopina • The rosary = il rosario • The seven branched chandelier = Il candeliere a sette bracci • The oranges
- 29. The mirror and medallions
- 30. Mirror on the back wall Inscription, the rosary and the brush • The mirror is painted with great skill. In the frame there are ten miniature medallions depicting scenes from the life of Christ. Yet more remarkable is the mirror's reflection, which includes van Eyck's own tiny self-portrait, accompanied by another man, maybe the official witness to the ceremony.
- 31. Almost every detail can be interpreted as a symbol… Jan Van Eyck added the little dog when he had already finished the painting. Notice that the dog is placed at Giovanna's feet. A common name given to a dog is "Fido", based on the Latin root fid, meaning "fidelity" or "faith." 1) The dog
- 32. 2) The chandelier …
- 33. … with the candle • The chandelier only has one candle, burning even in bright daylight. In 15th century Christian marriage ceremonies, a single "marriage candle" was carried in the bridal procession and then placed in the couple's nuptial chamber. The candle may also be a religious symbol, representing the all-seeing eye of God.
- 34. 3) The fruit • The fruit on the window ledge (an apple) stand for our fall from Paradise. • The oranges on the table probably stand for fertility, or they might suggest the wealth of the couple.
- 35. 4) The clogs • The clogs probably signify the sanctity of marriage.
- 36. SIGNS OF WEALTH The interior is richly decorated. • Look at the chandelier, the mirror, the bed-hangings, the carvings on the chair and the bench against the back wall. • Another sign of wealth is the small Oriental carpet on the floor by the bed. • Observe GIOVANNA’s hand. It’s in a low, horizontal pose which means submission.
- 37. The bed • The Arnolfini Wedding is believed to be the first painting of a civil wedding ceremony. The wedding does not take place in the church, but in a chamber of a home. The bed is behind Giovanna and is richly draped in red cloth.
- 38. SIGNATURE AND DATE • The painting is also signed and dated on the wall above the mirror: "Johannes de eyck fuit hic. 1434" • ("Jan van Eyck was here. 1434").
Editor's Notes
- Jan Van Eyck (YAHN van IKE) was born in the Netherlands. The exact year of his birth isn't known, but it was somewhere around 1390. His paintings are very detailed. Most artists of the time painted with tempera, a mixture of colored powder and egg yolk plus some other substance. Tempera dried quickly and the artist had to work fast. When it dried it had a dull finish and if a sheen was desired, a glaze had to be applied. Van Eyck was not the first to use oil paint, but he mastered the use of oil in paints. He was able to get stunning results. He used walnut oil and other oils to make the paints and let each thin coat of paint dry before applying another coat of paint over it, giving the painting a three-dimensional appearance. The colors in his paintings are delicate and have a beautiful shine. He was called "The King of Painters" by people even hundreds of years after his time.
- Jan Van Eyck (YAHN van IKE) was born in the Netherlands. The exact year of his birth isn't known, but it was somewhere around 1390. His paintings are very detailed. Most artists of the time painted with tempera, a mixture of colored powder and egg yolk plus some other substance. Tempera dried quickly and the artist had to work fast. When it dried it had a dull finish and if a sheen was desired, a glaze had to be applied. Van Eyck was not the first to use oil paint, but he mastered the use of oil in paints. He was able to get stunning results. He used walnut oil and other oils to make the paints and let each thin coat of paint dry before applying another coat of paint over it, giving the painting a three-dimensional appearance. The colors in his paintings are delicate and have a beautiful shine. He was called "The King of Painters" by people even hundreds of years after his time.
- In Flanders= dutch (flemish) – Wallonia = French
- In Flanders= dutch (flemish) – Wallonia = French
- In Flanders= dutch (flemish) – Wallonia = French
- Bruges is in Belgium, in the northwest of the country. It’s the capital of the province of West Flanders, in the Flemish region of Belgium
- The way the women wore their dresses gathered up in front made them look pregnant whether they were or not. Some historian think that this painting is an actual wedding portrait and that the figures in the mirror might be witnesses. Others say the couple was only engaged and one source will tell you his marriage was recorded in 1447 and the picture was painted in 1434. So, who was that woman The couple are shown in an upstairs room with a chest and a bed in it in early summer as indicated by the cherry tree outsidethe window. Although many viewers assume the wife to be pregnant, this is not believed to be so. Art historians point to numerous paintings of female virgin saints similarly dressed, and believe that this look was fashionable for women's dresses at the time.[18] Fashion would have been important to Arnolfini, especially since he was a cloth merchant. The more cloth a person wore, the more wealthy he or she was assumed to be. Another indication that the woman is not pregnant is that Giovanna Cenami (the identification of the woman according to most earlier scholars) died childless,[19] as did Costanza Trenta (a possible identification according to recent archival evidence);[20] whether a hypothetical unsuccessful pregnancy would have been left recorded in a portrait is questionable. As mentioned above, some viewers have argued that the woman in the portrait is already pregnant, thus the protruding belly. Harbison, however, maintains her gesture is merely an indication of the extreme desire of the couple shown for fertility and progeny.[21] cherry tree outside the window. The room probably functioned as a reception room, as it was the fashion in France and Burgundy where beds in reception rooms were used seating, except, for example, when a mother with a new baby received visitors. The window has six interior wooden shutters, but only the top opening has glass, with clear bulls-eye pieces set in blue, red and green stained glass. The two figures are very richly dressed; despite the season both their outer garments, his tabard and her dress, are trimmed and fully lined with fur. Although the woman's plain gold necklace and the plain rings both wear are the only jewellery visible, both outfits would have been enormously expensive, and appreciated as such by a contemporary viewer. But especially in the case of the man, there may be an element of restraint in their clothes befitting their merchant status - portraits of aristocrats tend to show gold chains and more decorated cloth.
- The Arnolfini Marriage, is a record of the marriage of the two people in the picture. In modern days, a couple would hire a photographer to record their wedding. Giovanni Arnolfini hired an artist to paint the picture. In addition to being a portrait, it is also a legal record showing that the marriage took place. The artist signs it as a legal document.
- Green is life. Abundant in nature, green signifies growth, renewal, health, and environment. On the flip side, green is jealousy or envy (green-eyed monster) and inexperience. Green with blue produces echoes of nature - water and forest and can denote new beginnings and growth. ellow is sunshine. It is a warm color that, like red, has conflicting symbolism. On the one hand it denotes happiness and joy but on the other hand yellow is the color of cowardice . Red is for onflicting emotions from passionate love to violence and warfare. Red is Cupid and the Devil. Giovanna's heavy robe gives her contour a swollen appearance. Van Eyck is following a convention in late Gothic art of exaggerating in female figures the child-bearing part of the body, even if they were not pregnant. In real life, Giovanni and Giovanna had no children. Notice her expression, pose, dress, and contour. Her hand is extended to Giovanni as the marriage is taking place. Giovanna's heavy robe gives her contour a swollen appearance. Van Eyck is following a convention in late Gothic art of exaggerating in female figures the child-bearing part of the body, even if they were not pregnant. In real life, Giovanni and Giovanna had no children.
- Green is life. Abundant in nature, green signifies growth, renewal, health, and environment. On the flip side, green is jealousy or envy (green-eyed monster) and inexperience. Green with blue produces echoes of nature - water and forest and can denote new beginnings and growth. ellow is sunshine. It is a warm color that, like red, has conflicting symbolism. On the one hand it denotes happiness and joy but on the other hand yellow is the color of cowardice . Red is for onflicting emotions from passionate love to violence and warfare. Red is Cupid and the Devil.
- For his wedding day, Giavanni is dressed in very dark robes, which were fashionable for court, but notice that his feet are bare.
- n The Arnolfini Marriage all the objects in the room have meaning.
- n The Arnolfini Marriage all the objects in the room have meaning.
- The mirror literally reflects Van Eyck's great skill as a painter. He accurately recreates the wedding scene, distorting the figures and forms as they would appear on a curved surface.The frame is inset with ten religious medallions that depict the life of Christ, painted in an earlier Gothic style. Within the surface of the mirror, Van Eyck paints the chamber from the reverse and shows the viewer more than the painting itself. Everything in the room is reflected, with the exception of the dog, but notice the two figures between Giovanni and Giovanna.
- Oranges and lemons were very expensive because they had to be imported from Spain. There are four oranges in the picture suggesting the wealth of the couple. he cherries on the tree outside the window may symbolize love. The oranges which lie on the window sill and chest may symbolize the purity and innocence that reigned in the Garden of Eden before the Fall of Man.[23] They were uncommon and a sign of wealth in the Netherlands, but in Italy were a symbol of fecundity in marriage.[24] The fruit could more simply be a sign of the couple’s wealth since fruit was very expensive during this time.[2
- Further signs of luxury are the elaborate bed-hangings, and the carvings on the chair and bench against the back wall (to the right, partly hidden by the bed). Another sign of wealth is the small Oriental carpet on the floor by the bed; many owners of such expensive objects placed them on tables, as they still do in the Netherland