Is She or Isn't She?

When I first looked at Jan van Eyck's painting Giovanni Arnolfini and His Bride in my art history textbook, I was shocked by the scandal. A woman is pregnant before marriage in fifteenth century Flanders? The bride doesn't have one of those "is she or isn't she" stomachs; her stomach is clearly protruding. As I looked for an explanation, the book thankfully provided me with one. Giovanni's betrothed is actually not pregnant, but she is wearing a fashionable costume that makes it appear so. For some reason this trend has not come back into fashion, but van Eyck did spark other trends.

Jan van Eyck was the first Netherlandish painter to achieve international fame. He was also one of the Dutch masters who made oil painting popular. Oils allowed van Eyck to paint with incredible detail. Looking closely at Giovanni Arnolfini and His Bride, his eye for detail can be seen. He carefully distinguished textures and depicted the effects of the light from the window. The convex mirror on the back wall is another important detail. The mirror not only shows Giovanni and his bride, but also two other figures. One of the figures is thought to be van Eyck himself.

The painting is also full of symbols. On the surface, it is a purely secular painting, but certain objects with religious undertones are also included. A pair of cast-aside clogs signify the event taking place on holy ground. The small dog represents fidelity (we get the common canine name Fido from the Latin "fido" meaning to trust). The finial (crowning ornament) on the bedpost is a small stature of Saint Margaret, the patron saint of childbirth. The single candle burning and the mirror symbolize God's all-seeing eye. All of the symbols convey the sanctity of the event and the holiness of matrimony.

With incredible detail and precision, Jan van Eyck revolutionized painting with the use of oils and the secular subject matter.