Some scholars consider this important work of art to represent a virtual legal document, which records an event to which the artist was an official witness. What is it, what details support this theory, and can you provide an illustration?

diffuseaxon

The Arnolfini Marriage The Marriage of Giovanni Arnolfini and Giovanna Cenami; 1434 (130 Kb); Oil on wood, 81.8 x 59.7 cm (32 1/4 x 23 1/2 in); National Gallery, London artist:Jan van Eyck Van Eyck's Latin signature, in the Gothic calligraphy used for legal documents, reads: ``Jan van Eyck was present', and has been interpreted by some as an indication that the artist himself served as a witness. http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/eyck/arnolfini/ image:http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/eyck/arnolfini/arnolfini.jpg Jun 23 06, 5:35 PM

lanfranco

That's the one, diff. A highly-controversial painting for many years, "The Arnolfini Wedding" has been regarded as the record of a marriage, the record of a morganatic marriage, and the record of a betrothal (which, in the 15th century, had a legal status that could subsequently torpedo any other marital contract). Jan van Eyck's elegant, formal signature (signatures were unusual on paintings until the 17th Century) and his seeming appearance in the mirror, have suggested that Jan was, at least, trying to document some sort of contract, though we cannot be certain of what it was. This site makes mention of many interesting -- and still disputed -- details in the painting: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Arnolfini_Portrait Jun 23 06, 5:53 PM

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