The largest work of Jan van Eyck is called. Brothers Hubert and Jan van Eycky

Portrait of Giovanni Arnolfini. Jan van Eyck
1435. State Museum, Berlin.
Wood, oil. 29 X 20 cm.

Here, we will analyze the versions of what is happening. You - with pleasure, I - overcoming a slight personal dislike.

Let's take a look at what we actually see. In front of us in a small room with a low ceiling is a couple - a man and a woman, they are a little strange for us, but clearly smartly dressed; and the faces of both are far from ideal. The man has a disproportionately large head, which is further emphasized by the ridiculous huge hat, and the woman has the same disproportionate belly, which is also emphasized by special folds and tucks in the dress.

"PREGNANT" in the paintings of van Eyck himself and his contemporaries:

Saint Catherine (Virgin) on the "Dresden Triptych" by Jan van Eyck

Eve from the Ghent Altarpiece by Jan van Eyck, 1432 (fruit in hand, before the fall)

Saint Margaret and Mary Magdalene (right) on a fragment of the Portinari altarpiece by Hugo van der Goes, 1474

"Love magic" (?) 1470

"Wheel of Fortune", miniature by Henry de Vulkope, second half. 15th century

Hans Memling "Vanity of Vanities"

Hans Memling "Bathsheba" 1470

Hugo van Dur Hus "The Fall" 1467

It seems that the "pot-belliedness" of the ladies was then in great fashion! So the pregnant or "pregnant" wife of Arnolfini in the picture is up to you to decide.

They stand almost in line in ceremonial postures; the man with this somehow strangely holds the woman's hand in his hand - palm up. The room is austerely decorated, perfect cleanliness, even somehow empty, but for some reason, a pair of abandoned shoes is lying around in the foreground and background. The rest of the small details in this "Spartan" room look strange and even slightly out of place, so the question involuntarily arises: why are they here? It is unlikely that all these carved wooden figurines, a strange mirror behind on the wall, fruits on the windowsill are painted by chance.

Glory - ordinary house slippers, women's (in the depth of the picture). Exactly the same as now. Right - protective slippers for the street

We delve into the analysis of what we see. The men in lilac velvet trimmed with fur are clearly not a simple city dweller, the woman does not see any jewelry, except for the chain and rings on her hand, but the style of the dress is complex and intricate, its trim is also fur (most likely, these are white "bellies" of squirrels, it was very fashionable at the time. The slippers in the foreground are those safety shoes, kind of like galoshes, for walking down the street to save expensive boots and shoes. This suggests that the people who wore them moved outside the house on their own, and not on a horse or in a carriage, i.e. they did not belong to the aristocracy. Thus, before us are representatives of the middle class, and very non-poor. Most likely, these are rich merchants. And so it is.

A few more words about housing. Don't be put off by the small size of the room, especially compared to the large areas of peasant taverns and dwellings that we will see in the paintings of the Netherlanders in the 16th and 17th centuries. The Netherlands still has a colossal shortage of space, especially in cities; after all, the inhabitants of the "low lands" (as the word "Netherlands" is translated) literally won every square centimeter of their country from the sea. "Drainage" works are still being carried out and will always be carried out, otherwise Holland and Belgium will simply be flooded by the sea. And if in the countryside houses are not so crowded, then in overpopulated cities, the cramped quarters of which are literally locked between canals, a unit of housing area has always cost a huge amount of money! Houses were usually built close to each other, in addition, the builders had one secret - narrow facades are slightly tilted forward in order to increase the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe upper floors by at least a couple of centimeters (there are usually no more than three of them). So the pictured couple has the most common apartment for the middle class; we most likely found them in the bedroom - people have already thrown off their shoes, just undress - and here we are with van Eyck!
Perhaps the first floor of the building was occupied by a shop or office, but we see them on the second or third floor.

Cherry outside the window - perhaps a symbol of fertility.

Cherries are ripening outside the window, and the people in the picture are in warm clothes. This should not be surprising - this is such a strange summer in Flanders. The climate in Belgium is unimportant and always has been!

The surname of the man today seems to be established - he was from the Arnolfini family, wealthy Italian merchants who traded fabrics, leathers and furs in Europe in the 15th century. Yes Yes! He is Italian, despite the whitish physiognomy. But there are questions about the name. For a long time it was believed that this was Giovanni di Arrigio Arnolfini, a fabric merchant from Lucca, and next to him was his second wife Giovanna Cenami (also from a family of wealthy fabric merchants from the same Lucca), but documents have recently been found (there is a gift for their wedding) , which say that the wedding between them took place in 1447, 6 years after the death of van Eyck. So, if this is Giovanni di Argio, then this is his first wife, who died soon after. Or is it another Arnolfini, his cousin - Giovanni di Nicolao Arnolfini. Recently, it is generally accepted that this is still Nicolao, so that a separate portrait, written after the “Four…”, depicts Nicolao.

Who is he, this Arnolfini? He was born around 1400, i.e. was a little younger than van Eyck. Most likely, they were friends - after all, the artist served at the court of the Duke of Burgundy, Philip the Good, and Arnolfini was a merchant and supplied fabrics and luxury goods to the court. A merchant was born in Lucca, Italy, his family ran a successful trade both in their native Tuscany and abroad. Even in his youth, Giovanni came to Bruges and lived there until the end of his life. The subject of trade was silk, other expensive fabrics, as well as tapestries. It is known that Arnolfini put six precious tapestries dedicated to the Mother of God at the duke's court.

This tapestry once belonged to Philip the Good. (took). It may have been sold by Arnolfini. Open in a new tab and zoom in - this is a masterpiece!

The painting is more than 600 years old, it had to “wander” around Europe a lot - van Eyck painted it for an Italian merchant who lived in Bruges, and now it hangs in London, at the National Gallery. For a long time she was in Spain, at the end of the 18th century she was taken to Belgium, and at the beginning of the 19th century, during the war with Napoleon, an English officer saw her in Brussels, bought her and brought her home. Naturally, over the years of "ordeals" documents related to the history of the creation of the picture were lost, and, moreover, its meaning and hidden symbolism became incomprehensible.

These people only owned the painting for the first hundred years!
(Arnolfini himself, nobleman Diego de Guevara, Margarita of Austria, Maria of Hungary, Spanish king Philip II, his son Don Carlos.

Like all the works of van Eyck, the picture is filled with many details and strange objects, the presence of which in the “Portrait of the Arnolfinia”, as in no other work, looks deliberate and not accidental. Perhaps van Eyck simply painted the picture in this way, trying to make the interior of the room, the figures and faces of those present, as well as many household details, look as natural as possible, and added all these items to enliven the picture, but he did not succeed. Even with a cursory glance at the picture, the feeling of magic, invisible magic does not leave you.

Perhaps that is why one of the old interpretations of the painting arose: for a long time it was believed that a pregnant woman is depicted here, who came to palmist to find out their future fate and the fate of the unborn child.

Chandelier - as in the photo! Here you can also see the famous inscription: "Vasya van Eyck was here." See Saint Margaret with the dragon?

This version is now resolutely rejected: a "palmist" in precious velvet and furs - isn't it too defiant luxury for a simple soothsayer? Yes, and the pregnancy of the lady in the picture cannot be confirmed - she will not be able to pass a pregnancy test due to her death about 550 years ago.

What other versions. There is a version sublime.
Its supporters believe that van Eyck depicted an allegory of marriage, focusing on its duality: the emphasized symmetry of the image, the couple in the portrait, separated from each other at a “demonstrative” distance, two pairs of shoes on the floor, a pair of rosaries hanging on the wall. The bed is a symbol of marriage, the dog is a symbol of family fidelity, etc. This version could be considered if the person in the picture didn’t look so similar ... yes, yes, he looks like Putin, leave me alone! ... and also for a man in a separate portrait. That is, this character is not fictional, but most likely real. True, the features of the lady's face seem to me somewhat conventional, generalized. We see similar female faces in other paintings by van Eyck, but we will return to this later.

Belgian Griffon

Art critic Erwin Panofsky once proposed a very slender, but now disputed version - supposedly this painting - document, Marriage certificate. Therefore, we see an ornate inscription on the wall: “Jan van Eyck was here,” and the artist also painted himself in the reflection of a convex mirror with another witness. This idea is also suggested by the extreme ceremony of the poses, and the hand of the groom raised in an oath.

On the underpainting in infrared rays, it can be seen that the oath-raised hand was initially even more turned towards the viewer

I do not think, however, that this option should be considered as the only correct one. If this was evidence, then it can hardly be regarded as a serious document, otherwise this practice would have taken root, and we would have seen a lot of work of followers made in this vein.

However, Panofsky's idea caught on, and many researchers developed it. Therefore, they say, two people are reflected in the mirror at the door, because two witnesses were needed for a marriage certificate. Some believe that the marriage was unequal, " left hand marriage”, so Arnolfini holds the palm of his lower-class bride in his left hand. The picture was evidence of family ties and the special trust of the merchant to his wife, which allowed her to manage her husband's affairs in his absence. This, by the way, is another option - perhaps this is not a wedding, and not a marriage certificate, but something like a power of attorney for management.

Another version, quite mundane. To be honest, I stick with it too. Perhaps this is just a ceremonial portrait of spouses who have recently married. The bed is a symbol of the family bed and the place of childbearing, Saint Margaret, opening the belly of the dragon (we see her carved on the head of the bed) is the patroness of childbirth, the panicle is a symbol of the purity of marriage and a tidy life, the only candle burning on the chandelier is evidence of the presence of God. Oranges on the windowsill, haunting the researchers, are hardly an indicator of the family's wealth (in Flanders at that time it was a very expensive exotic fruit), otherwise why would van Eyck depict them on the windowsill in his famous painting "Madonna Lucca" ?! Most likely, the fruits here are an allegory of fertility, or an allusion to the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge, the Adam's apple - the cause of original sin. This is a kind of edification and a reminder to those entering into marriage about the infinitely merciful sacrifice of Christ. The scenes of passion, death and resurrection of Christ, depicted on the frame of the mirror, echo this.

It is unlikely that Madonna Lucca boasts of her wealth!

This version also includes a dog. By the way, a well-defined breed is the progenitor of the Brussels (or Belgian) Griffon, but still with a sharp nose. Dogs were often depicted at the feet of married women to emphasize their purity and devotion to their spouse. We see a dog on the hem of Isabella of Portugal in a picture depicting her wedding to Philip the Good, and dogs also lie at the feet of Mary of Burgundy in a sculptural group on the gravestone of the duchess. Interestingly, the dog in the 17th century was already interpreted as something opposite - as a symbol of lust. We can often see it in the genre scenes of the artists of the "Golden Age" of Dutch painting, when pardon, brothels or dates with courtesans were depicted.

Dog on the hem of the bride in the image of the wedding of the patron of the artist Philip the Good (painting probably by van Eyck)

A dog at the feet of the deceased on the gravestone of Mary of Burgundy (granddaughter of Duke Philip)

The dog at the bride's feet in the wedding scene on Rogier van der Weyden's triptych "The Seven Sacraments"

AFTER 150 YEARS, THE DOG SYMBOLIZED SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT!:

Jos Cornelis Drochslot, 17th century. "The scene in the brothel"

fantastic, since there is no evidence of it - supposedly this is a self-portrait of van Eyck himself with his wife Margaret. If there are no confirmed self-portraits of van Eyck, then the portrait of his wife has survived to this day. It seems to me that only the Flemish nondescriptness unites her with the heroine of the paired portrait. Although, they look like each other, of course, what is already there.

Enough cute version, and not unfounded, I think - the picture is a kind of wish for the addition of offspring, the hope for a successful marriage. Hence the emphasized style of the woman's dress, oranges and cherries are fruits, Saint Margaret is the patroness of "fertility", in the bride's slippers that are still removed: she hints at the fact that a woman is standing barefoot on the ground - this is such an ancient symbol of fertility, attachment to the earth. It is no coincidence that the compositional solution of the picture is so close to the popular and numerous at that time "Annunciation", when the archangel informs Mary about the imminent pregnancy.

Comparison with a portrait of Margaret van Eyck (1439)

Another version is very funny, but unlikely - supposedly the Arnolfini family was too modern, free-spirited, shocking the Catholic community. The spouses cheated on each other right and left and looked through their fingers at these fun, and the painting was ordered as a mockery of the bonds of marriage. On the frame of the picture there is an inscription - Ovid's verses: “Do not spare promises: they are not worth at all. Indeed, every poor man is rich in this wealth. The ceremonial posture of the spouse - the raised right hand, as if he is making some kind of vow, while maintaining an incredible seriousness of his face - is a mockery of this vow. The wife's pregnancy in the picture also harbors a hidden mockery, the only candle on the chandelier from the husband's side is an obscene and obvious symbol, especially in the presence of a bed. Slippers in the foreground, in the most prominent place, symbolize "campaigns to the left." The grotesque and mockery are emphasized by a decorative monster carved from wood, “sitting” directly above the joined palms of the spouses. And the fruits on the windowsill, hinting at original sin, in this context take on a completely different meaning.

At the same time, it is worth adding that Ovid entered the pier only in the 16-17th century, and the inscription itself on the frame was applied at the same time.

There is another version, a little sinister and mystical.
Allegedly, the picture still depicts Giovanni di Argio, but this is not his wedding, but a portrait with his wife, who has already died. Perhaps the woman died during childbirth, so we see her pregnant, and Saint Margaret is immediately appropriate. Therefore, the features of the woman's face are conditional and somewhat idealistic - the artist painted her from memory or from the description of a widower. Some interpretations of symbols can be considered as evidence of this version. So, the pictures on the mirror from the side of the husband depict the condemnation and passion of Christ, while the side of the wife depicts scenes after the death of Christ. A candle burning on the side of the man shows that he is alive, and empty places for candles on the side of the lady indicate that she has already left the world of the living.

Slippers symbolize that after the death of his wife Arnolfini vows "not to go out", to remain faithful to her.

These are the nine versions I have listed for you (even ten). Choose any, but know that there could well have been some other version that we and you have no idea about!

And with that I end my series of stories about Jan van Eyck. To be honest, I'm already pretty fed up with it, and I think you are too. It's high time to talk about Rogier van der Weyden!

I take information from books, the Internet, lectures

Portraits occupy a special place in the work of Jan van Eyck. In fact, it was van Eyck, along with Robert Campin, Rogier van der Weyden, who turned the portrait into an independent genre. Prior to this, the portrait was an integral part of religious works, such as portraits of donors. The works of the masters of early Netherlandish painting "are distinguished by greater (in comparison with the Italian portrait) spiritual sharpness, subjective accuracy of the image ... The hero of their portraits often appears as an inseparable particle of the universe, organically included in its infinitely complex system."

The portraits by Jan van Eyck are small in size and executed in oil on a wooden board. They are distinguished by strict simplicity and sophistication of means. The external features of a person are conveyed very carefully, one might say, with merciless realism. His characters are self-absorbed, full of dignity. According to the researchers, Eyck was the first to try to open a window into the inner world of his characters.

One of the earliest surviving portraits by van Eyck is "Portrait of a Man in a Blue Chaperon". This small painting (22.5 cm x 16.6 cm with frame) was created around 1430. The man is depicted against a dark background, his figure is turned three-quarters and inscribed in a narrow space, which is typical of the artist's style. The model's face is sharply lit from the left, which gives a striking play of light and shadow, drawing the eye of the viewer. It should also be noted the realism and jeweler's precision in the depiction of small details of appearance. The man in the portrait is depicted with a one- or two-day stubble, written out very carefully.

The painters of that period did not name their works, and the identity of the man depicted in the portrait remains unknown. Since he is holding a ring in his hands, it was assumed that this is a portrait of a jeweler. Recently there was a version that the ring is a symbol of engagement. The small size of the painting confirms this assumption - the portrait could be sent with a marriage proposal to the bride and her family.

In the upper left corner you can see the sign with which Albrecht Dürer signed his paintings. But it was found that the sign was painted later. By whom and for what purpose - is not established.

"Portrait of a man in a blue chaperone"

Around 1431, van Eyck painted "Portrait of Cardinal Niccolò Albergati". The cardinal was a very famous person. At the age of twenty, he became a monk of the Carthusian order, eventually rose to the head of several communities, in 1417 he was elected bishop of Bologna, and in 1426 received the title of cardinal. According to contemporaries, Niccolò Albergati was distinguished by his great learning and monastic simplicity in everyday life. He enjoyed the special confidence of Pope Martin V and often carried out diplomatic missions. He was nicknamed "the angel of peace". In the autumn of 1431 the cardinal was passing through Ghent. It was then that Jan van Eyck made a drawing that later served as the basis for the portrait, and on the back he made notes about the color of the bristles and the color of the eyes.

"Portrait of Cardinal Niccolò Albergati"

The painting "Leal souvenir" (fr. For memory) was painted in 1432. The lower part of the portrait is a parapet of chipped yellowish stone, painted with illusionistic precision, with an inscription carved on it and the word TγΜ.ωΟΕΟς scratched out, the end of this word falling on a crack in the stone. It is not clear whether this is the name, or the nickname of the character (Timothy), or the motto (Honoring God). The bottommost inscription reads: "Actu[m] an[n]o dni.1432.10.die ocobris.a.ioh de Eyck (This was done in the year of our Lord 1432, on the day of October 10, by John de Eyck)" . It is not known who is depicted in this portrait, nor what is his status. There is an assumption that this is either a humanist unknown to us, or a musician from the retinue of Philip the Good.

"Leal souvenir" or "Timofey"

"Portrait of a man in a red turban" was created in 1433. The picture is inscribed in a complex frame, the vertical sides of which and the central panel are actually one piece of wood. On the top of the frame is the inscription AlC IXH XAN (How can I) - a kind of pun on the name of the master. This motto is found in other paintings by van Eyck. Below is the inscription in Latin JOHES DE EYCK ME FECIT ANO MCCCC.33. 21. OCTOBRIS - Jan van Eyck made me on October 21, 1433. The letters are written in such a way that they look like carved on wood.

It is assumed that this is a self-portrait of the artist. This version was first expressed in 1655, but there is still no consensus. Clothing is quite suitable for a person of such a social position as Jan van Eyck. By the way, in fact, a man’s head is not a turban, but a headdress that was fashionable at that time - a chaperon.

"Portrait of a man in a red turban"

Around 1435, a portrait of Baudouin de Lannoy, who served at the court of Philip the Good, was painted. He was ambassador to Henry V, governor of Lille. When in 1430 Philip the Good established the knightly order of the Golden Fleece, Baudouin de Lannoy was among the first twenty-five cavaliers of the new order. In the portrait, he is depicted in rich clothes and with an order chain around his neck.

As in many of the portrait works of this master, the proportions of the character are somewhat disturbed. The head is drawn too large to attract the attention of the viewer.

"Portrait of Baudouin de Lannoy"

Giovanni di Nicolao Arnolfini was the subject of two portraits by Jan van Eyck. He was first depicted in a couple portrait with his wife (the famous "Portrait of the Arnolfini") in 1434, and the second portrait was painted in 1438.

Giovanni Arnolfini was a merchant from Lucca in Italy. At an early age, he came to Bruges, then the center of trade in Northern Europe, to run the family business, and lived there for the rest of his life. He made a fortune trading in silk, tapestries and fabrics, but then his business most likely faltered, since in 1442 Arnolfini signed an agreement under which, for a moderate fee, he became a resident of the city of Bruges, promising not to engage in trade.

In the portrait, he is depicted wearing a red chaperone with a burrelet overlaid on top, turning the headdress into something resembling a turban. Interestingly, the size of the burrele corresponded to the degree of nobility of its owner - the larger the burrele, the higher the person stood on the social ladder.

"Portrait of Giovanni di Nicolao Arnolfini"

One of the last surviving works of the master is a portrait of Margaret van Eyck, the artist's wife. On the frame there is an inscription in Greek: "My husband Johannes completed me in 1439 on June 17", and again the motto "As I can". Margaret is dressed in an elegant red wool dress with fur trim. "Horned" ennen is decorated with lace.

From a modern point of view, Margaret was not a beauty, but she gives the impression of a bright personality. Her maiden name is unknown, but she probably had a fairly high social status. The couple is known to have married in 1433 and had several children. Margaret outlived her husband by fifteen years, but there is no record of how she spent these years.

"Portrait of his wife Margaret"

J. Huizinga "Autumn of the Middle Ages"

The first documented information about Jan van Eyck dates back to the early 1420s, when he worked in The Hague on orders from the ruler of Holland, John of Bavaria. From 1425 he became the court painter of Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy. On his behalf, he visits Spain and Portugal in 1427-1429, where he was supposed to paint portraits of princesses there, possible brides of the duke. Unfortunately, these portraits have not come down to us, but the very fact of such a task indicates that the artist established himself as a skilled portrait painter back in the 1420s.

The surviving portraits of Jan van Eyck date back to the next decade. They allow us to consider him the most significant master of portraiture in Northern Europe at that time. In essence, he turned this art form from a side art into an independent genre. These works are quite small in size and executed in oil on a wooden board. The technique of oil painting, known in the Netherlands and earlier, was extraordinarily improved by van Eyck. The famous Italian painter and art historian of the 16th century, Giorgio Vasari, even considered the Dutch master the inventor of oil paints. In fact, he used new compositions, achieving a special depth and luminosity of color. Thin transparent colorful layers were superimposed on a light underpainting, creating an effect of amazing purity and luminosity of the color range.

In most cases, van Eyck gives a chest-length image of the person being portrayed, showing him in a calm three-quarter turn. The background of the portrait is usually dark, neutral, while the figure, and especially the face, are illuminated by soft diffused light, in which the characteristic features of the model's appearance acquire an extraordinary life reality. Such, for example, is one of the earliest in this series, "Portrait of Cardinal Albergati" (1431-1432, Vienna, Museum of the History of Art). It is also interesting in that only a preparatory drawing of the artist has been preserved for him, clearly executed from nature, with the master’s most detailed notes that determine the color scheme of the portrait. A comparison of a pictorial portrait with a pictorial one shows that the artist, while striving to accurately follow nature, at the same time wants to reveal the deeper features of the model's character.

If in the drawing the viewer perceives the hero as an elderly, good-natured man, then in the painting he appears as a restrained, withdrawn person, immersed in his thoughts. In search of monumentality and significance of the image, the master uses the possibilities of color. Almost half of the pictorial surface of the portrait is occupied by the red spot of the cardinal's vestments. Next to another plastic accent - the luminous volume of a large head, it creates a feeling of special stability of the seated figure. A similar technique - a combination of a bright spot of clothing and a face highlighted by light, is also characteristic of other bust portraits of the master ("Portrait of Margaret van Eyck, the artist's wife", 1439, Bruges, Groeninge Museum).

A special place in the portrait work of Jan van Eyck is "Portrait of the Arnolfini" (1434, London, National Gallery). The young couple is depicted full-length, in the interior of their own room. Before the viewer appear real people in their everyday environment. Convincing, as always with Eick, the authenticity of the appearance is combined here with a sense of the solemnity of the ongoing action. The majestic calmness of the poses, the demonstrative gesture of the touching hands of a man and a woman indicate that the moment of concluding a marriage contract is represented. The artist's observation is amazing, the ability to convey the intimate emotional experiences of the depicted, as if standing not in front of the artist, but in front of the altar. The young bride, with timid and gentle gullibility, puts her hand into the hand of the groom. The same one with all his appearance, calm and confident posture, gesture of the other hand raised in an oath, inspires faith in the strength and reliability of the alliance being concluded. A new word in portrait art is the display of the person being portrayed in a home environment, which makes the painting related to genre painting. True, many objects, along with purely everyday characteristics, have a "speaking" symbolic meaning (for example, a pair of wooden shoes symbolizes inseparability, and a whisk near the wall - the purity of the bride, a dog at the feet of the depicted - an allegory of fidelity, etc.). The space of the room is not closed: behind a narrow band of a window, given in a strong perspective, a piece of the city is visible, and a round convex mirror in the center of the back wall increases the depth of the room, reflecting people entering through the doors. A similar technique of spatial play will soon be adopted from van Eyck by many followers.

The most significant work of Jan van Eyck, which brought him the greatest fame, is a monumental multi-part polyptych, known as the "Ghent Altar" (so named after its location - the Cathedral of St. Bavo in Ghent).

Before proceeding to the story of this unique creation, it is worth saying a few words about the history of the very form of the pictorial altar. It begins to develop in Northern Europe only from the end of the XIV century. The lancet vaults of the Gothic temple were not very conducive to the painting of the interior space. Altar barriers were usually decorated with sculpture - round or embossed. The type of altar gradually develops from several painted wooden wings, which could be closed for better preservation of the central part, which remained sculptural. The further process of development of the altar composition led at the beginning of the 15th century to the creation of a purely picturesque altar. Often at the same time, the painting of the outer wings was performed in grisaille (monochrome), as if imitating sculpture. The main content began to focus now on the inner parts of the fold. Here the artist could reveal all his compositional and coloristic talent.

According to the inscription on the frame of the Ghent polyptych, work on it began around the mid-1420s by Jan's elder brother, Hubert van Eyck. It is authentically known, however, that already in 1426 Hubert died. Thus, all the main work on the creation of the majestic altar fell to the share of the younger brother, who completed it in 1432. This creation was a new word in the art of Northern Europe. In these parts, nothing like it had been created before in terms of its size, complexity of composition, coverage of the depicted, not to mention the captivating perfection of pictorial skill. The complexity of the construction of the altar is extraordinary. Composed of many separate wings with various scenes from heavenly and earthly life, it at the same time gives a complete picture of the universe, as it seemed to the man of that time. Parishioners of the cathedral could see the altar in two states: on weekdays, its main inner part was closed with doors; on holidays they were revealed, introducing the viewer to the deepest secrets of life, and also showing the eye the most precious part of painting.

Both the inner and outer parts of the polyptych are divided horizontally into two tiers, each of which, in turn, consists of several independent images. The painting of the outer doors is almost monochrome. In the lower tier individual figures are presented: in the middle - images of two Johns - the Baptist and the Evangelist, executed in grisaille in the form of statues. Along the edges are kneeling figures - portraits of the customer of the altar and his wife. Only their scarlet clothes of different shades are highlighted in color. The upper tier is almost entirely occupied by the scene of the Annunciation, solved in a very unconventional way. The figures of Mary and the Archangel are placed in the outer wings, while in the middle ones the deserted light space of an ordinary room dominates, and in the open window one can see the streets of a typical Dutch city with tall houses closely standing under the evening clear sky. Thus, here the viewer was presented with life unfolding on earth.

When the altar opened, the viewer found himself in a completely different world - the heavenly world, which cannot be seen in real life, but can only be imagined by the imagination of the artist-creator. But this imagination was based on vivid impressions of reality, which helped the master create a spectacle that captivates with a sense of the inexhaustible richness of earthly and heavenly existence. Even without peering into individual compositions, the viewer found himself in the grip of radiant colors, radiant color and light harmony.

The main, largest composition of the polyptych is located in the middle of the lower tier. Here is a scene of worship of the sacrificial Lamb - a symbol of Christ, who died on the cross to atone for the sins of mankind. Around the altar are saints and apostles, righteous men and virgins, in the side wings are the soldiers of Christ and hermits, righteous judges and pilgrims. All this takes place in a sunny landscape, on a beautiful green meadow dotted with flowers, bordered by groves, where northern vegetation is combined with palm trees and orange trees. The distances are drowning in a blue haze, silhouettes of city towers and churches looming against the background of a clear sky. This is Heavenly Jerusalem, and the whole landscape is the embodiment of ideas about paradise. But these ideas are based on such a deep knowledge and love for real earthly reality, and nature and people are conveyed with such vitality and character, with such close loving attention to every face, to every flower, which was not in the art of Northern Europe before Jan van Eyck. .

If the lower tier, with all the basic mystical idea, essentially glorifies the beauty of earthly existence with all its diversity and variability, then the main images of the upper tier represent the eternal and unchanging perfection of the celestials. In the center is a solemnly majestic image of God the Father, on the sides is the Mother of God as the embodiment of female beauty and dignity, and John the Baptist is the forerunner of Christ. They are praised by musical and singing angels. The sonorous color spots of colorful robes studded with precious stones, the radiance of gold and brocade, velvet patterns create a dazzling picture, suddenly closed at the edges by the naked figures of the progenitors of mankind - Adam and Eve. Despite the beauty of their bodies, depicted by the artist with unprecedented verisimilitude, the contrast of naturalistic nudity and magnificent royal robes reinforces the feeling of people's insecurity against sin. And at the same time, placing the progenitors on a par with the creator of all things, the master exalts all of humanity.

In subsequent years, Jan van Eyck more than once turned to the creation of religious paintings, although not as grandiose and monumental as the Ghent Altarpiece. Of these works, the most famous are "Madonna of Chancellor Rolin" (c. 1435, Paris, Louvre) and "Madonna of Canon van der Pale" (1436, Bruges, Groeninge Museum). As can be seen from the titles, the paintings represent customers addressing the Mother of God. Here the artist again demonstrates his brilliant skill as a portrait painter. The appearance of each is deeply individual. Authority and self-confidence can be clearly read in the person of Burgundy Chancellor Nicolas Rolen. Coming from an humble family, he achieved a high position thanks to his intelligence, knowledge and dexterity in political and financial affairs. Other features are emphasized in canon van der Pale. This is also a man of strong spirit, but he is old and sick, his face is furrowed with wrinkles, there are sclerotic veins on his temple, but stubbornness and firmness of will are read in his eyes.

Spatial tasks are solved differently in these two paintings, which may also be due to the difference in the position and status of the customers. Full of strength and energy, the chancellor is depicted in a room, the back wall of which is cut through by an arcade, behind it a view of a distant landscape opens: a full-flowing river going into the depths of the picture space, a city on its banks, figures of people. And although, as in the "Ghent Altar", individual details have a symbolic meaning, on the whole, the delight of the artist, and with him the viewer, prevails in front of the grandeur, beauty and diversity of the earthly world. Canon van der Pale appears before the Madonna, seated on a throne in a confined space. He conducts a concentrated internal dialogue with her and is completely detached from the interests and temptations of the reality surrounding him.

The art of Jan van Eyck expressed with captivating persuasiveness the natural beauty of being, the spiritual dignity and value of the human person. It had a huge impact on the further development of painting both in his native country and in other European countries.

Lilia Aleshina

Plot

The main charm of the picture is that we cannot say with absolute certainty who and under what circumstances is depicted on it. If you do not dive into the details of the investigations conducted by numerous art critics, the main version, which has the most supporters, Jan van Eyck portrayed the merchant Giovanni di Nicolao Arnolfini with his wife.

"Portrait of the Arnolfinis". (wikipedia.org)

We also do not know what moment in the life of the couple is captured. According to one version, marriage: Giovanni folded his fingers as it happened during the pronunciation of the oath; in the reflection of the mirror on the wall, two are visible - witnesses of the rite; a man and a woman are dressed festively and richly.

According to another version, the portrait was painted after the woman's death. Giovanni di Nicolao married the 13-year-old Constanza Trenta in 1426. Her mother Bartolomea, in a letter dated February 26, 1433, addressed to Lorenzo Medici, reports the death of Constanta. The extinguished candle in the chandelier above the woman is interpreted as another proof that the painting was painted after the death of the lady.

Opponents of the hypothesis that the picture depicts a marriage point out that the heroes have rings on the wrong hands and on the wrong fingers. Plus, shaking hands is not typical for wedding ceremonies.

By the way, there is a hypothesis that in the picture van Eyck depicted himself with his wife Margarita. In favor of this, the researchers point to the portrait resemblance of the depicted lady and the artist's wife, as well as the statuette of St. Margaret (depicted above the bed) - she allegedly hints at the name of the heroine. Plus, van Eyck's wife gave birth in the same year that the painting was painted.

The heroes are richly dressed, according to the latest fashion of Northern Europe, which in the second quarter of the 15th century was distinguished by a fair amount of extravagance. Take at least the hats. Needless to say, beauty is a terrible force.

It seems that the woman is pregnant: her stomach is enlarged, she is standing with her body tilted back and her hand on her stomach. However, if you look at the ladies in other portraits of that time, it will seem that if not each, then half of them are pregnant. It was fashionable then to take a pose, tilting the body back and pushing the stomach forward - the so-called gothic curve. Yes, and the hand lying on the stomach can be a symbol of the feminine.

The heroes are depicted in festive clothes, but in a simple interior. The latter, most likely, was invented by van Eyck: he assembled it from fragments seen in other houses and invented by himself. The result was a space filled with symbols.

A dog is a sign of prosperity, a symbol of loyalty and devotion. Fruits (according to one version, oranges, according to another, apples) can speak both of the prosperity of the family and symbolize purity and innocence. Cherry outside the window - a wish for fertility in marriage. The red alcove on the right is a symbol of the bridal chamber and a classic attribute of the scenes of the Annunciation, the Nativity of Christ and the Nativity of the Virgin. The woman stands near the bed, which emphasizes her role as the guardian of the hearth. The man is depicted at an open window, which indicates his connection with the outside world.

The couple are representatives of the wealthy burghers, as evidenced by their clothes. A dress with such an impressive train was impossible to wear without assistance.

Context

The Arnolfini were a large merchant and banking family, which at that time had a branch in Bruges. And van Eyck, who lived at the time of writing the picture, in the same city, could well have received this order. And he could give it as a friend. After all, wealthy burghers and an artist could be friends.

Almost photographic accuracy is the result of experiments with optical instruments. Presumably, van Eyck, using a concave mirror, circled the inverted projections of the depicted objects on the basis of the picture, or even applied paint over the projection. This hypothesis has both supporters (who point out errors in perspective) and opponents (who note that at that time it was extremely difficult to find an optical device of the required diameter).

Dominic Lampson. Portrait of Jan van Eyck. (wikipedia.org)

Realism is also backed up by technology. Van Eyck worked in oils, which was an innovation for his time. Thanks to the properties of oil paints, you can apply several layers and, together with the play of light and shadow, create the illusion of three-dimensional space.

Van Eyck was almost the first to sign his painting. True, there were some mysteries here. Firstly, the signature is indicated not modestly in the lower corner, but in a clearly visible place between the chandelier and the mirror. Instead of the classic phrase “the canvas was painted by this,” the artist wrote “Jan van Eyck was here,” reinforcing the version that he is one of the witnesses depicted in the reflection of the mirror.

The fate of the artist

Jan van Eyck's exact date of birth is unknown. Presumably, he was born in the north of Holland at the end of the XIV century. How to hold a brush in his hands and the basics of the artistic craft was taught by his brother. When the time came to earn his own bread, Jan went to The Hague, where he began to build a career at the court of the counts. I must say that he was highly appreciated, and he did not sit without orders. Between 1425 and 1430, van Eyck traveled a lot in Europe, met with colleagues in the shop, as they say. Having become familiar with the European cultural community, van Eyck settled in Bruges, where he spent the rest of his days.

"Portrait of the Arnolfinis" is one of the artist's most replicated works. However, another of his creations is called great - the Ghent Altar. Just imagine the scope: 24 panels, 258 figures on them, the maximum height is 3.5 meters, the width when opened is 5 meters. And everything is about the worship of the apostles, prophets, forefathers, martyrs and saints to the Lamb, symbolizing Christ.

Jan van Eyck (Dutch. Jan van Eyck, c. 1385 or 1390, Maaseik-1441 Bruges) - Flemish painter of the early Renaissance, portrait master, author of more than a hundred compositions on religious subjects. The younger brother of the artist and his teacher Hubert van Eyck (1370-1426).

Jan van Eyck's exact date of birth is unknown. Born in the Northern Netherlands in Maaseik. He studied with his older brother Hubert, with whom he worked until 1426. He began his activity in The Hague at the court of the Dutch counts, was first mentioned between 1422 and 1426 as "Master Jan" in the rank of chamber junker with Count Johann III. It is also known that he had only 2 brothers: the elder Hubert, and the younger Lambert and sister Margaret. From 1425 he was an artist and courtier of the Duke of Burgundy, Philip III the Good, who highly valued him as an artist and generously paid for his work. In 1427-1428. as part of the ducal embassy, ​​Jan van Eyck went to Spain, then to Portugal. In 1427 he visited Tournai, where he was received with honor by the local guild of artists. Probably met with Robert Campin, or saw his work. He worked in Lille and Ghent, in 1431 he bought a house in Bruges and lived there until his death.

Van Eyck is considered the inventor of oil paints, although in fact he only improved them. But it was after him that oil gained general recognition, oil technology became traditional for the Netherlands; in the 15th century came to Germany and France, from there - to Italy

Van Eyck's largest and most famous work is the Ghent Altarpiece, probably begun by his brother Hubert. Jan van Eyck commissioned the wealthy Ghent burgher Jodoc Veidt for his family chapel in 1422-1432. This grandiose multi-tiered polyptych of 24 paintings depicting 258 human figures is located in the Cathedral of St. Bavo in Ghent.

Among the masterpieces of Jan van Eyck are the Madonna of Chancellor Rolin, as well as a portrait of a merchant, a representative of the Medici banking house, Giovanni Arnolfini with his wife - the so-called Portrait of the Arnolfini couple.

Jan van Eyck died in Bruges in July 1441 (date of burial - July 9, 1441). In the epitaph of van Eyck it is written: “Here lies John, glorious with extraordinary virtues, in whom love for painting was amazing; he painted life-breathing images of people, and the earth with flowering herbs, and glorified all living things with his art ... "

He had several students, including the subsequently famous painter Petrus Christus.

“According to universal recognition, the most daring discoveries that marked a turning point in the artistic development (of humanity) belong to the painter Jan van Eyck (1385/90 - 1441). His greatest creation is a multi-leaf altar (polyptych) for the cathedral in Ghent. - E. Gombrich "History of Art".

Since up to the 15th century it was not customary to sign your paintings.

In honor of Van Eyck, a crater on Mercury and an asteroid (9561) van Eyck, which was discovered on August 19, 1987, are named.

Featured on a 1944 Belgian postage stamp.

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