THE ARNOLFINI MARRIAGE
by Jan Van Eyck
1395-1441



Jan Van Eyck (IKE) was born in the Netherlands.

His paintings are very detailed. He was not the first to use oil paint, but he perfected the use of oil in paints. 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.

The painting we are studying; 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.

You will enjoy looking at some of the details of the painting in the links below.

It is thought that Jan Van Eyck had a brother named Hubert. Supposedly, the famous Ghent Altarpiece was started by Hubert and finished by Jan after his brother's death. This magnificent painting is very large; two stories high and painted in three parts. It is called a triptych (TRIP tik) because it is a picture in three panels.