The Mysterious Masterpiece That No One Can Solve

let's take a look at this painting what do you think is going on i see four figures dressed in gowns in a really dark room are they having a conversation maybe but the two figures facing in our direction almost look like they're marveling at the couple in the forefront and why do their faces look like actual potatoes hold on let's back it up a bit no like actually back up oh wow a little more well would you look at that bet you didn't think that was gonna happen or maybe you did because you saw the thumbnail this painting is called the arnolfini portrait by jan van ike who is an absolute sucker for detail i mean look at the hair on this dog amazing not only is this piece of art insanely intricate it's also full of fascinating symbols and mystery let's get into it the man is likely giovanni arnolfini a wealthy merchant in his late 30s at the time his identity was determined from a portrait that was done of him about a year later that looks pretty similar to this man he's holding hands with his wife is she pregnant many people believe this but it's actually not true this was a common way women held up their bulky gowns during this time for a long time this painting was believed to be a representation of a wedding ceremony but it was later discovered that this couple was already married although this painting is filled with mysteries perhaps the biggest one is the identity of the woman for a long time people believed that she was arnolfini's second wife giovanna tsunami but this is impossible because they married 13 years after this painting was made and long after vanek died so it could be arnolfini's first wife costanza trinta who died a year before this painting was completed it wasn't out of the ordinary to have portraits done of those who had passed which may be the case here the scene is draped in striking reds greens blacks and blues during the 15th century these were extremely expensive dyes for textiles the bright red bed with curtains is off to the right it was not uncommon for people to put beds in their living rooms during this time since they were so expensive they wanted to show them off light streams in from an open window on the left side of the room and you can see a cherry tree blooming from outside indicating that it is the early summer season the light reflects off of the brass chandelier in the center of the room beautifully there are oranges carelessly scattered by the window which would have been a very expensive fruit at this time it's obvious that the couple's not trying to mimic aristocracy but instead display restrained luxury blue the color of royalty sparingly peeks out from beneath the woman's wool gown her white headdress indicates she's married and covers her head which is fixed into horns she has some dainty gold jewelry that's not over the top we can't forget the intricate dagging in her dress the fur lining is from the underbelly of a squirrel the man's dark heavy clothing likely made of silk velvet is also for lined his silver cuffs appear from beneath his sleeves although expensive are not flashy then there's his hat made of plated straw that provides an extra contrast and texture the sheer amount of clothing these people are wearing is astounding given it's warm enough for cherries to be fruiting on the trees outside the couple is barefoot perhaps a sign of respect but could have also been a symbol of fertility it is believed by some that the dog at the woman's feet supports the idea that she is indeed deceased it was common for people to place dogs at the feet of the dead in their two methods as a way to guide them to the afterlife this theory is also supported by the frame of the mirror in the background on the man's side of the frame there are depictions of christ during his life while the woman's side shows scenes of christ's death and resurrection there is a lit candle above the man's head while the woman doesn't have one possibly making a statement that her light has burned out but this also could be a religious representation that there is only one god i must say the sensory nature of this painting is magnificent it's almost as if you can feel all the textures in this painting i can definitely understand why this is one of the most famous paintings of all time a big reason for this is jan van ike used oil paints to create his pieces which allowed him to build up layers of translucent paint to make his work look extremely realistic this technique can be seen in the rosary beads hanging from the wall as well as the wood engraving detail in the background the broom hanging from the wooden bed post on the woman's side of the portrait likely indicates the belief at the time that women had a domestic duty to take care of the home the window on the left side could indicate the man's duty to provide by going outside the home above the mirror yan van ike has written something almost as if it is part of the wall it reads jan van ike was here 1434 which was the year the painting was created this seems to support the idea that the painter is one of the figures featured in the mirror but why would he initial the portrait in this way does this support the concept that this was indeed a marriage ceremony some believe this portrait could be depicting a contract between the couple that gives the wife the authority to act on her husband's behalf in business dealings if this is the case his raised right hand may indicate him taking an oath to this the more i learn about this piece the more incredible it becomes thank you so much for watching i'll see you in the next video

Channel: Art Deco

Views: 1,100,655

Keywords: Arnolfini, the Arnolfini portrait, jan van eyck, famous art, mysterious facts, mystery, art, famous, painting, strange, odd, weird, secret, facts, interesting, art facts, art history, renaissance, netherlands, the Ghent altarpiece, details, top, best, most, hidden, most famous paintings, of all time, fine art, classic art, messages, hidden meanings, surprise, surprising, best paintings, mysteries, little known, great art explained, paintings explained, art news, art explained, portrait painting, 4k

Id: n6mBdpPYDDQ

Length: 6min 28sec (388 seconds)

Published: Sun Jun 12 2022