Jan van Eyck famous paintings. Portrait of the Arnolfini couple: Secrets and encrypted symbols in a painting by Van Eyck

The works of masters of painting of past centuries, created at a time when the camera had not yet been invented, are one of the most reliable sources of information about the life, customs, appearance, taste preferences and other details of the life of our ancestors. Often they baffle researchers and cause controversy that has not subsided for decades. One of these canvases is a painting by the Flemish painter Jan van Eyck.

"Portrait of the Arnolfini" exhibited in the London National Gallery, which acquired it in 1842 for only 730 pounds.

A few words about Jan van Eyck

The artist was born sometime between 1385 and 1390 in the city of Maaseik in the Northern Netherlands. As a young man, he worked alongside his older brother Hubert. He was also a successful artist and is considered one of the authors of the famous Ghent Altarpiece. In 1425, master Jan became the court painter of the Duke of Burgundy, Philip III the Good. In 1431 he bought a house in the city of Bruges, where he lived until his death.

He is mistakenly considered the founder of oil painting. In fact, he simply improved this technique, but, undoubtedly, did a lot to make it become the main one in the Netherlands, from where it penetrated into Germany and Italy.

Giovanni Arnolfini

The man depicted on the famous painting by the artist Jan van Eyck is a wealthy merchant from the Italian city of Lucca. Even in his early youth, Giovanni Arnolfini went to Bruges, where he founded several textile manufactories producing expensive clothes for aristocrats. In addition, he was engaged in transactions for the purchase / sale of jewelry, including with European monarchs. It is believed that at the end of his life Arnolfini suffered bankruptcy. However, he continued to enjoy prestige among the merchants and wealthy artisans of the city of Bruges and was even often invited as an arbitrator to resolve economic disputes.

Description of the painting by Jan van Eyck “Portrait of the Arnolfinis”

The canvas depicts a man and a woman standing at some distance from each other in the bedroom of a city house. The young man (Giovanni Arnolfini was 34 years old at the time of writing) is depicted almost full face. His right hand is raised to shoulder height, as if he is about to take an oath. His lady is standing, turning to the left. The room they are in is seen as if from above. Thus, the image does not have a single point of convergence of the horizontal and vertical axes.

The semantic center of Jan van Eyck's painting "Portrait of the Arnolfinis" is the joined hands of the characters. Their contact looks very ceremonial. The painter depicted the hands almost in the center of the canvas, thus giving them special meaning.

Description of figures

Both characters in the painting by Jan van Eyck (“Portrait of the Arnolfini”) are dressed in festive attire. At the woman's toilet, a neatly straightened long train is visible, which means that she belongs to a wealthy burghers. She has a round belly. According to experts, he, like her posture in the form of the so-called Gothic curve, is most likely not a sign of pregnancy, but a tribute to fashion, thus emphasizing the main advantage of the lady - fertility.

The man wears a wide-crowned cylindrical hat, a wine-red velvet hook lined with fur, and an undergarment of expensive black material. Despite the rich outfit, it is obvious that the man is not an aristocrat. This is evidenced by his wooden shoes, which were worn by those who walked, while the representatives of the noble class rode horseback or moved on a stretcher.

Interior

Van Eyck's painting "Portrait of the Arnolfini" is distinguished by the careful drawing of all the details of the depicted room. On the floor, the viewer sees an expensive oriental carpet, a chandelier on the ceiling, a round mirror on the wall, a glazed upper part of the window, a bench with oranges. All this indicates that the owner is a wealthy person. Dominant in the setting is a bed with a canopy.

The Secret of the Beautiful Lady

If everything is clear with the man portrayed by van Eyck (“Portrait of the Arnolfini”), then the identity of the lady is in question.

Some art historians consider the painting to be documentary evidence of the merchant's marriage. Then the lady must be his wife. It is known that in 1426 Arnolfini married 13-year-old Constanza Trenta. However, in 1433 she died, that is, at the time of the painting she was not alive. Then either she was depicted posthumously in the picture, or this is the second wife of Arnolfini, about whom no documentary evidence has been preserved.

There is also an opinion that the lady in the portrait is Marguerite van Eyck, and the man is the artist himself. Indirect evidence of this hypothesis is the presence on the canvas of the image of the statuette of St. Margaret, which is located next to the face of the lady. At the same time, there is another version. According to her, Margarita was the patroness of women in childbirth, and her image next to the alcove means the wish for a speedy addition to the family.

Distinctive features

The portrait of the Arnolfini couple has several distinctive features. In particular, it is considered one of the earliest secular marital portraits in the history of European painting. Prior to the creation of this canvas, artists did not strive to depict small details and everyday details as carefully as they began to do after the appearance of paintings by Jan van Eyck.

Technique

Creating "Portrait of the Arnolfini", Jan van Eyck used oil paints. As already mentioned, at that time this technique was a new word in painting. It made it possible to apply transparent layers of paint one after another and to achieve fusion of strokes, obtaining softened contours. Being fluid, the oil dried much longer than the previously used tempera, allowing you to achieve the highest realism and even the illusion of three-dimensional space.

Symbols

In the Middle Ages, artists depicted on their canvases various objects and signs that conveyed to contemporaries information about the virtues or vices of the depicted persons.

While working on his famous painting, van Eyck also used the language of symbols. “Portrait of the Arnolfinis” is still considered one of the most difficult to interpret works of world art, as experts to this day cannot come to a consensus about the secret meaning of some interior details:

• Chandelier. The lamp in the painting "Portrait of the Arnolfini" is made of metal. It has only one candle burning. She is above the man. In the fact that the second candle went out, some historians see a hint that the painting depicts a dead woman.
• Dog. At the couple's feet is a Brussels Griffon puppy. He is closer to the lady and personifies her fidelity to her husband.
• Window. Although the characters are dressed in warm clothes lined with fur, a cherry tree can be seen in the background, which has many ripe fruits. Most likely, it should mean a wish for fertility in marriage.
• oranges. This is another symbol of fertility. They could also be used to emphasize the high property status of the family.

Mirror

The main symbolic element depicted on the canvas “Portrait of the Arnolfinis” is a mirror. It shows the reflection of the main characters, as well as two other people. Some researchers claim that the artist depicted himself in the mirror.

It is believed that these are witnesses to the marriage, which in those days could take place without the participation of a priest by signing a marriage contract. By the way, in the fact that a woman and a man extended their left hands to each other, historians see a hint of an unequal marriage. In the Middle Ages in Europe, such unions meant that in the event of the death of her husband, the widow and her children could not claim the inheritance, but received only a small fixed share of his property. In some countries, there was even a legal concept of "marriage of the left hand."

No less interesting is the frame of the mirror. It contains medallions depicting scenes of the Passion of Christ. It is interesting that these plots in the Middle Ages were interpreted as the marriage of the Savior with the church.

The history of the canvas until the 19th century

The painting "Portrait of the Arnolfinis" has a complicated history. Whether it was handed over to the customer or not is unknown. According to surviving documents, at the beginning of the 16th century, the portrait was the property of the Spanish courtier Don Diego de Guevara, who permanently lived in the Netherlands. He presented it to the stadtholder of the Spanish Netherlands, Margaret of Austria. She ordered to supply her with two wooden doors.

In 1530, the painting "Portrait of the Arnolfini couple" was inherited by the next stadtholder - Mary of Hungary, who transported it to Spain in 1556. The next owner of the canvas was Philip II. Until 1700, the painting was in the residence of the Spanish monarchs Alcazar. Fortunately, when a fire broke out there in 1734, the “Portrait of the Arnolfinis”, the symbols on which are still the subject of controversy, was already in the Royal Palace. Then his traces were lost.

The fate of the portrait after the Napoleonic wars

The canvas was found in 1815. Its new owner, British Colonel James Hay, told everyone that he had bought the painting in Brussels. However, many researchers believe that the “Portrait of the Arnolfinis” was in a convoy with works of art, which the French sent to Paris as trophies. It was captured by the British after the defeat of the troops of Joseph Bonaparte. The British, instead of returning the paintings and statues to Madrid, loaded them on a ship bound for London. Apparently, James Hay, who then commanded the 16th Dragoon Regiment and took part in the battle with the army of Napoleon's brother, appropriated several confiscated paintings, including the famous work by van Eyck.

The story of the painting "Portrait of the Arnolfini" did not end there. In 1816, Colonel Hay brought her to London and handed her over to the future King George the Fourth "for testing." It is known that the painting hung in the chambers of the Prince Regent until the spring of 1818, but then it was returned to its owner. In 1828, the colonel handed over the painting to a friend for safekeeping, and nothing was known about its fate for the next 13 years.

In 1842, the canvas was purchased for the London National Gallery for a rather modest amount, and until 1856 it was exhibited there under the title "Flemish Man and His Wife". Later, the inscription on the plate was changed. Today, the canvas is listed in all catalogs as "Portrait of the Arnolfinis", and crowds of spectators always gather in front of it.

Some documents testify that the "Portrait of the Arnolfini" had a top cover made of wood depicting a naked girl performing a ritual bathing of the bride. It was kept in the collection of paintings by Cardinal Ottaviani, but is currently lost. The Italian historian Fazio described it in his De viris illustribus.

Another interesting fact: when the van Eyck painting was studied under infrared radiation, it turned out that all the details attributed to the symbolism were completed at the end of the work on the canvas. In other words, they were not part of the painter's intention, but appeared later, perhaps at the request of the customers.

Now you know the content of van Eyck's painting "Portrait of the Arnolfinis". Surely she will be in the center of attention of all those who like to solve historical mysteries for a long time to come, so it is quite possible that loud sensations await us.

In the countries located north of Italy - in the Netherlands, Germany, France - in the XV - XVI centuries, a culture called the Northern Renaissance develops. Like the Italian, the Northern Renaissance means a new stage in the development of European culture, higher than in the Middle Ages. As in Italy, the discovery of the world and man in art takes place here, man becomes the highest value in art. But if in Italy the Renaissance began with the revival of ancient ideals and the rejection of medieval views, then in the North the culture of the 15th-16th centuries is still very closely connected with the Middle Ages.

Unlike Italian art, which strove to be perfect, Northern art is closer to real, real life.

Italian art is festive, while the art of the Northern Renaissance is more severe, restrained.

In Italy, the art of the Renaissance reached a high flowering in all forms - architecture, sculpture, painting, and in the North, new views on art appeared only in painting and graphics. Architecture and sculpture remained largely Gothic.

Religion still occupied the main place in the life of society. But if earlier God was far from man, and man was regarded as an insignificant grain of sand, now man, like God, is becoming a part of the universe.

At the turn of the 15th-16th centuries, a deep interest in the sciences appeared in the countries of Western Europe, they were developing very rapidly. During this period, between scientists in Northern Europe and religious leaders there are heated disputes - whether the country should be free or feudal, with the dominance of the Catholic Church. These disputes developed into a popular movement - the Reformation ("purification of the faith"), against feudalism, against the dominance of the Catholic Church.

In Germany at that time there was a Peasant War, in the Netherlands a fierce struggle was waged for liberation from Spanish rule.

In such historical conditions, the art of the Northern Renaissance took shape. The Northern Renaissance originated in the Netherlands.

Jan van Eyck is one of the famous Dutch artists, he became the founder of easel painting in northern art and was the first to paint with oil paints. He became famous as a portrait painter. At first he worked with his older brother Hubert, and after his death he was already alone.

The most famous work that Jan van Eyck created together with his brother, and after his death finished alone, is the large Ghent altar.

The wings of the grandiose altar are painted in two tiers - both inside and outside. On the outer sides - the Annunciation and kneeling figures of donors (customers) - this is how the altar looked closed, on weekdays. On holidays, the doors were thrown open, when opened, the altar became six times larger, and in front of the parishioners, in all the radiance of the fresh colors of Jan van Eyck, a spectacle appeared that, in the totality of its scenes, should embody the idea of ​​atonement for human sins and future enlightenment.

At the top in the center is Deesis - God the Father on the throne with Mary and John the Baptist on the sides. These figures are larger than human growth. Then naked Adam and Eve in human growth and groups of musical and singing angels.

In the lower tier there is a crowded scene of the Adoration of the Lamb, solved on a much smaller scale, very spatially, among a wide flowering landscape, and on the side wings there is a procession of pilgrims. The plot of the Adoration of the Lamb is taken from the "Revelation of John", where it is said that after the end of the sinful world, the city of God will descend to earth, in which there will be no night, but eternal light, and the river of life "bright as crystal", and the tree of life, each a month that bears fruit, and the city is "pure gold, like transparent glass." The lamb is a mystical symbol of the apotheosis awaiting the righteous.

And, apparently, the artists tried to put into the paintings of the Ghent Altar all their love for the charms of the earth, for human faces, for herbs, trees, waters, in order to embody the golden dream of their eternity and incorruptibility.

Jan van Eyck

A crane wedge - not a battle wedge - Merges into the autumn glow. The altar shines over the whole earth, Uniting all the signs and signs. To reduce all altars to one altar! The air is densely mixed with our life. Thank heavens for joy and for the spirit of the terrible events of the Arc. A desecrated altar is a powerless temple. And a person is ground by reality - With dull millstones of miserable dramas. And work and hunger come together in battle. The heart of the altar shines amber, Invisibly

From the canvas of van Eyck we will descend, To move again on the road. Any of us is attracted by the love of God All-consuming. Bypassing Mecca, Lourdes and Rome, We go to the spiritual limits - Any luggage drags the body: We have to reckon with it. Bypassing the cemetery, where the Leaders, robbers, heroes sleep, We go forward (what if we go back? It would be a shame, I will not hide it). Bypassing the luxury of cities, Where there are restaurants, bars, rings, At stadiums - a terrible roar, In libraries - books, books.

Jan van Eyck (circa 1390-1441), Dutch painter. One of the founders of the art of the Early Renaissance in the Netherlands, Jan van Eyck in 1422-1424 worked on the decoration of the count's castle in The Hague, in 1425 he became the court painter of the Duke of Burgundy Philip the Good, in 1427 he visited Spain, in 1428-1429 - Portugal. Around 1430, Jan van Eyck settled in Bruges. The largest work of van Eyck is the famous "Ghent Altarpiece", begun, according to a later inscription on the outer doors, by van Eyck's elder brother Hubert (he worked in the 1420s in Ghent, died about 1426) and finished by Jan in 1432. Jan van Eyck is one one of the first masters of the portrait in Europe, who stood out in his work as an independent genre. Bust, usually depicting a model in a three-quarter turn, van Eyck’s portraits (“Timofey”, 1432, “Portrait of a Man in a Red Turban”, 1433, both in the National Gallery, London; portrait of the artist’s wife Margareta, 1439, Municipal Art Gallery, Bruges) are distinguished strict simplicity and sophistication of expressive means. The impartially truthful and careful transfer of the appearance of a person is subordinated in them to a vigilant and penetrating disclosure of the main features of his character. Jan van Eyck created the first paired portrait in European painting - an image of the merchant Giovanni Arnolfini and his wife imbued with complex symbolism and at the same time with an intimate and lyrical feeling. The problem of the participation of the artist Hubert van Eyck in the work on the altar remains open: according to most researchers, he could only begin work on the central part of the altar, but in general the work was executed by Jan van Eyck. Despite the presence of archaic, Gothic features in a number of scenes of the altar, the “Ghent Altarpiece” opened a new era in the development of the art of the Netherlands. Complex religious symbolism is translated into concrete, vitally convincing and tangible images. With exceptional realism and unvarnished expressiveness, the naked figures of Adam and Eve are depicted on the outer doors of the altar. The figures of singing and playing angels on the side panels are distinguished by a convincing plastic tangibility. The landscape backgrounds in the “Adoration of the Lamb” scene in the center of the altar stand out with subtle poetry, mastery of the transfer of space and light-air environment. The pinnacle of van Eyck's work is the monumental altar compositions “Madonna of Chancellor Rolin” (circa 1436, Louvre, Paris) and “Madonna of Canon van der Pale” (1436, Municipal Art Gallery, Bruges). Developing and enriching the achievements of his predecessors, primarily R. Campin, he turns the traditional scene of worship of the Mother of God into a majestic and colorful image of the visible, real world, full of calm contemplation. The artist is equally interested in the person in all his unique individuality, and the world around him. In his compositions, portraits, landscapes, interiors, and still lifes act as equals and form a harmonious unity. The extreme thoroughness and at the same time the generalization of painting reveal the inherent value and beauty of each object, which in van Eyck's work acquires real weight and volume, a characteristic surface texture. Details and the whole are in an organic relationship: architectural elements, furnishings, flowering plants, luxurious fabrics adorned with precious stones, as if embody particles of the infinite beauty of the universe: a panoramic landscape full of light and air in the “Madonna of Chancellor Rolen” is perceived as a collective image Universe. Van Eyck's art is imbued with a deep understanding of existence as a logical embodiment of God's providence, the expression of which was a strict, thoughtful and at the same time vitally natural construction of the composition, full of a subtle sense of spatial proportion. The solution of the creative problems facing van Eyck required the development of new means of artistic expression. One of the first he mastered the plastic possibilities of oil painting, using thin, translucent layers of paint, laid one on top of the other (the Flemish manner of multi-layered transparent painting). This pictorial method allowed van Eyck to achieve exceptional depth, richness and luminosity of color, subtlety of light and shade and colorful transitions. The sonorous, intense, pure tones of colors in van Eyck's paintings, permeated with air and light, form a single harmonious whole.
The work of the artist van Eyck, which most vividly recreated the beauty and living diversity of the universe, to a large extent determined the paths for the further development of Netherlandish painting, the range of its problems and interests. The powerful influence of van Eyck's art was experienced not only by the Dutch, but also by the Italian masters of the Renaissance (Antonello da Messina). http://smallbay.ru/vaneyck.html Quote from EIVA26 Read in full To your quote pad or community!
Jan van Eyck

Jan van Eyck's "Portrait of the Arnolfini" is considered the most talked about painting of the early Renaissance. It encodes a lot of hidden symbols that indicate what the plot is actually about. Even after several centuries, disputes do not subside over who is depicted on the canvas and whether the author captured himself.

The painting was painted in Bruges in 1434. Its name became known only 100 years later from an inventory entry in one of the books. It read "A large portrait of Hernoult le Fin in a room with his wife." "Hernoult le Fin" is the French spelling of the Italian surname Arnolfini. In the 15th century, representatives of this family were quite wealthy merchants.

For a long time it was believed that the picture depicts Giovanni Arnolfini with his wife Giovanna Chenami, but according to archival data, it was found that they got married only in 1447, that is, after the picture was ready, and the artist was no longer in alive. Modern art historians are of the opinion that it could be the same merchant, but with his former wife, or it could be Arnolfini's cousin.

The picture is a visual confirmation of Arnolfini's wedding, but here the question arises that worries the minds of all researchers - was the bride pregnant. If so, then the wedding was a forced and shameful measure. Then it is clear why the marriage takes place in a small room, in no way corresponding to the high status of Arnolfini.

But there is another opinion. Fashion historians explain that in the 15th century, all women's outfits were sewn in the “a la a little pregnant” style. Thus, the woman justified herself in the eyes of the church for the sin of the night and demonstrated that she was supposedly an "eternal mother." Moreover, fashion experts, looking at the portrait, claim that at least 35 meters of fabric were used for Arnolfini's outfit, that is, the woman simply supports the hem of the dress so as not to step on it.

Another curious detail that explains the traditions of that time is the left hand, with which Arnolfini holds his wife. Here we are talking about the so-called "marriage of the left hand." Such unions were concluded between people from different social circles. A marriage contract was drawn up, according to which the wife could not claim the inheritance of her husband in the event of his death, but only for the agreed monetary compensation. This document was issued to a woman on the morning after the wedding, which is why such marriages began to be called morganic or morganatic (from the German "morgen" - "morning").

The interior of the room is filled with items symbolizing the wedding. Oranges demonstrate not only the well-being of Arnolfini (after all, they were an expensive exotic fruit), but also personify heavenly bliss. Only one candle is lit in the chandelier - a symbol of the presence of the Holy Spirit. A small dog is fidelity, a rosary is a sign of piety, a brush is purity.

Arnolfini and his wife are shown without shoes. His wooden patens lie to the side, and his wife's shoes are visible in the background. “And God said: do not come near here; put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground."- said in the Old Testament. For both, the floor of the room during the marriage was "holy ground."

The mirror on the wall deserves special attention. It reflects the figures of the main characters and the outlines of two more people. Their faces are indistinguishable, but it is clear that they are a man and a woman. Art critics suggest that van Eyck portrayed himself and his wife. Indirect confirmation of this conjecture is the inscription above the mirror: "Johannes van Eyck fuit hic", i.e. "Jan van Eyck was here."

For those who like to look for hidden meanings, you will definitely like

Jan van Eyck (Dutch. Jan van Eyck, c. 1385 or 1390, Maaseik-1441 Bruges) - Dutch early Renaissance painter, portrait master, author of more than 100 compositions on religious subjects, one of the first artists who mastered the technique of painting with oil paints.

Biography of Jan van Eyck

Jan van Eyck is 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 elder brother Hubert, with whom he worked until 1426.

He began his activity in The Hague at the court of the Dutch counts, first mentioned between 1422 and 1426 as "Master Jan" in the rank of chamber junker to Count Johann III.

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.

Eyck's work

Eyck's style, based on the implicit power of realism, served as an important approach in late medieval art.

The outstanding achievements of this realistic movement, such as the frescoes of Tommaso da Modena in Treviso, the work of Robert Campin, influenced the style of Jan van Eyck.

Experimenting with realism, Jan van Eyck achieved astounding precision, unusually pleasing differences between the quality of materials and natural light. This suggests that his careful delineation of the details of daily life was done with the intention of displaying the splendor of God's creations.

Some writers falsely credit Jan van Eyck with the discovery of oil painting techniques. Undoubtedly, he played a key role in perfecting this technique, achieving with its help an unprecedented richness and saturation of color.

Jan van Eyck developed the technique of oil painting. He gradually achieved pedantic accuracy in depicting the natural world.

Many followers unsuccessfully copied his style. The distinguishing quality of Jan van Eyck's work was the difficult imitation of his work.

His influence on the next generation of artists, in northern and southern Europe, cannot be overestimated. The whole evolution of the Flemish painters of the 15th century bore the direct imprint of his style.

Among the works of van Eyck that have survived, the greatest is the "Ghent Altarpiece" - in the Cathedral of Saint-Bavon in Ghent, Belgium. This masterpiece was created by two brothers, Jan and Hubert, and completed in 1432. Exterior panels show the day of the Annunciation, when the angel Gabriel visited the Virgin Mary, as well as images of St. John the Baptist, John the Evangelist. The interior of the altar consists of the "Adoration of the Lamb", revealing a magnificent landscape, as well as paintings above showing God the Father near the Virgin, John the Baptist, angels playing music, Adam and Eve.

Throughout his life, Jan van Yayk created many magnificent portraits, which are famous for their crystal-clear objectivity and graphic accuracy.

Portrait of Jan de Leeuw Annunciation Ghent altarpiece

Among his paintings: a portrait of an unknown man (1432), a portrait of a man in a red turban (1436), a portrait of Jan de Lieuw (1436) in Vienna, a portrait of his wife Margaret van Eyck (1439) in Bruges.

The wedding painting "Giovanni Arnolfini and his Bride" (1434, National Gallery of London) along with the figures shows an excellent interior.

In the biography of van Eyck, the artist's special interest has always fallen on the depiction of materials, as well as the special quality of substances. His unsurpassed technical talent was especially well manifested in two religious works - "Our Lady of Chancellor Rolin" (1436) in the Louvre, "Our Lady of Canon van der Pale" (1436) in Bruges.

The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. exhibits the painting "Proclamation", which is attributed to van Eyck's hand.

Some of Jan van Eyck's unfinished paintings are believed to have been completed by Petrus Christus.

In the history of art, "Portrait of the Arnolfini" is one of the first paintings signed by the artist himself. “Jan van Eyck was here. 1434". Since up to the 15th century it was not customary to sign your paintings.

A painting by Jan van Eyck, a master from Bruges, a Flemish painter of the early renaissance, in which a clue is hidden. The painting is called "Portrait of the Cheta Arnolfini".

The picture simply shines with a huge amount of detail, which is quite interesting, because it was painted only in 1434. And a hint about how the author managed to make such a big step forward in the realism of the image is the mirror. And also a candlestick - incredibly complex and realistic.