Jan first began under this older brother Hubert van Eyck (1366-1426), but when Jan was about thirty-six years old, he left the studio of his brother to paint for John the Pitiless, Duke of Bavaria and Count of Holland and Hainaut. John was known for his appreciation of art and employed Jan van Eych for three years. Later, Jan went to work for another noble, the Duke of Burgundy, Philip the Good, who is known for capturing Joan of Arc. Although he was hired to paint, he also performed many other duties, like woking as his personal secretary and companion. Jan was also assigned to a painting mission to convince Isabella of Portugal to marry Philip. But artistically, for Jan van Eych, it was the last decade of life that he would produce the greatest works. His most famous work has many names. It is strange to me that this is often the case. Some call it the The Arnolfini Marriage ,Portrait of Giovanni Arnolfini and his Wife , or The Wedding Portrait. What ever you prefer, realize we are talking about the same painting.

Painted seven years before his death, The Arnolfini Marriage truly shows his talents and skill as a painter. The unique thing to keep in mind when looking at these works is that all of the little parts. Everything from the cute little doggie down to the candle in the chandelier, communicate something about these people and the intent of the painting. At this time art used symbols to communicate with a viewer. The formal view of this Gothic environment, tell us about this couple and their beliefs. The small carving on the bed represents St. Margaret, who is the patron saint of pregnancy and childbirth. This tells the viewer that there is a child that will be born to them, however, she is not pregnant, this is simply the dress style at this time. Moving clockwise around the picture, we then come to our cute little doggie, he tells us that Mr. Arnolfini is faithful to Mrs. Arnolfini (Actually her name is Giovanna Cenami). She is seen wearing a green dress, which symbolizes her hope of becoming a mother and her white veil is still used as a symbol in weddings as a sign of purity. The shoes on the floor tell us that this is a sacred event. On the table behind Mr. Arnolfini, sit’s a group of tangerines. This fruit may represent the couples desire for children as well as a symbol of their wealth, because the tangerine was an expansive fruit. Over Mr. Arnolfini’s arm we see the beads representing the trinity, and over his head the chandelier with one lit candle representing the one God. The mirror is decorated with carvings representing the passion of Christ, thus showing their religious beliefs, but also is proof of the wedding and acts as a visual tool that shows us the event (as well as the artist). There is also some humor in the work, most obvious is the way van Eyck signed his name. He gives his credit in form of a faux graffiti that reads, "Jan van Eyck was here, 1434."

Another of van Eyck's great works that we are going to explore is his Chancellor Rolin Madonna. This work shows Chancellor Rolin of Brabant (who also commissioned the work) inside his incredible palace. Sitting across from him is Mary, who is being crowned the Queen of the Heavens, with her infant son Jesus. At the center of the painting, we see two men standing along a parapet, as one explores the landscape through the embrasure. The landscape includes the village, farmland and snowcapped mountains. This was the 15^th century representation of the world. The men the look out on the world are amazed at the beauty that God has created for them to live in. The metaphorical connection between Chancellor Rolin the human and Mary the divine is the relief above Rolin’s head. This work explains the human need for redemption by depicting the stories of Adam and Eve’s expulsion from Paradise, Cain murdering Abel, the drunkenness of Noah, and the flood.

Chancellor Rolin Madonna