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THYou might think Jan van Eyck’s masterpiece is just an ordinary portrait: Italian merchant Giovanni Arnolfini and his wife, Costanza. It looks like a wedding ceremony, but there is far more going on.
Some think it’s an actual marriage contract, explaining why the artist’s witness signature is on the back wall. On the bed frame is a sculpture of Saint Margaret, patron saint of childbirth. So, this is a portrait of a happy and fruitful marriage yet to come, right?
Wrong. Look now at the mirror.
It’s just 3 inches wide, yet it reflects the entire room in detail. Packing all this into such a small space is stupendous already, but note this is *convex* glass. The distortion is represented with stunning accuracy.
But the true nature of this painting is revealed around the mirror, in 10 tiny images, each smaller than half a fingernail. They are scenes of the Passion of Christ, from the Agony in the Garden to the Resurrection. Notice the scenes on Costanza’s side are after Christ’s death — why?
This painting was completed in 1434. Costanza died in 1433...
Now, a lot more makes sense: the cherry blossom tree (a symbol of the transience of life), Giovanni’s dark clothes (like he’s attending a funeral). The chandelier has only one candle lit, above Giovanni’s head. The candle over Costanza has burned out.
This painting is a posthumous tribute to Costanza.
It’s hard not to notice how she’s standing and her hand position. This is a woman soon to give birth, at a time when death during childbirth was common. Her sacrifice is accompanied behind by the ultimate sacrifice: Christ’s Crucifixion…
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