Symbols in Van Eyck's Portrait of Giovanni Arnolfini and His Wife Essay

Symbols in Van Eyck's Portrait of Giovanni Arnolfini and His Wife - Essay Example The placement of the subjects also reveals the rigid gender expectations of the fifteenth century. Whereas Arnolfini is standing next to the window, representing his role as the ambassador for the family, his wife is next to the bed. This symbol works on two levels: it reminds the viewer that she is restricted to home life, and also makes an implicit sexual suggestion – a suggestion which is made explicit when we consider her come hither eyes, and the fact that her appearance resembles that of a pregnant woman. The two pairs of cast-aside shoes in the centre background and left foreground of the picture further this idea of a sexual union. Removed shoes were symbolic of sex in Dutch art. The open, red curtains of the marital bed and the cherries on the tree just visible through the window are equally as suggestive, inducing the viewer to see this portrait as the fervent desire of the couple to procreate. However, it is believed that this portrait could have been commissioned by a man grieving his first wife. This is represented by the chandelier: above the mans head a candle is burning, but the candle above the woman has burnt out. Similarly, in the frame of the mirror, on the left hand side, closer to the man, there are images of Christs life, whereas the ones on the right portray Christs death. This could also explain the disparity between the season (early summer, according to the presence of the tree) and the subjects winter clothing, if the wife had died in the winter