"The Arnolfini portrait" by Jan van Eyck is an oil painting from 1434 on oak panel. This is a full-length double portrait, of the Italian merchant Giovanni di Nicolao Arnolfini and his wife, in their home in the Flemish city of Bruges. It is one of the most original and intricate paintings in Western art, due to its beauty and the abundance of image space with the use of a mirror. His wife is not pregnant but lifts her skirted dress in modern day fashion. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay "The Arnolfini Portrait" provides clear documentation of the subjects' social status. The woman's dress is lined with fur and involves a huge amount of fabric. The man wears a cap and a fur-lined coat. These garments place the couple among the wealthy citizens of Bruges. The small size of the space, the wooden clogs on the floor worn to protect against street dirt, and the absence of ostentatious gold jewelry, all indicate a middle-class rather than noble status. However, the chandelier, decorative mirror and oriental carpet, as well as the expensive oranges on the side dresser, are visible indicators of considerable wealth. Van Eyck used the method of applying layer after layer of thin, luminous enamels to create a painting with a concentration of quality and color. The bright colors also help highlight reality and show the substantial richness and luxury of Arnolfini's world. The medium of oil paint also allowed van Eyck to capture the presence of the surface and accurately distinguish textures. He also focused on the effects of both direct and diffused light by showing the light coming from the window on the left reflected from many surfaces. It has been suggested that he used a magnifying glass to paint minute details such as specific highlights on each of the amber beads hanging next to the mirror. The view in the mirror shows two figures inside the door the couple is facing. Aligned with the mirror, in the center of the painting, the man holds his wife's hand in the palm of his own. The rigidity of the posture is also highlighted by the man's raised hand to signify that he is taking the oath. Maybe that's why there are two people in the doorway. They could be observers of the wedding of Arnolfini and his wife. The appearance of the painting was remarkable for its time, not only for the execution of the details, but also for the use of light in the space, for its absolutely important representation of a room and also of the people who inhabit it. Meaning is given to the portrait and its details, and there has been much discussion about this, according to Craig Harbison the painting "is the only surviving 15th century Northern panel in which the artist's contemporaries are shown engaged in some sort of action ". in a contemporary interior. The analysis mode I used is combined analysis. I used it because there were so many details to understand this work of art that there were many more elements to look at and analyze. The symbolism of this painting is limitless and very complex. After studying this painting, I think that Van Eyck created this artwork with religious meaning, even though it is in a seemingly secular situation. " The National Gallery, www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/jan-van-eyck-the-arnolfini-ritratto "The portrait of the Arnolfini" (1434). Portrait of Arnolfini, Jan Van Eyck: interpretation, analysis, www. visual-arts-cork.com/famous-paintings/arnolfini-ritratto.htm “Portrait of Arnolfini.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, January 26, 2018, Please note: this is just.