Saturday, June 16, 2012

Symbolism in Painting

Jan van Eyck's Giovanni Arnolfini and His Bride (1434)  

Paintings in northern Europe in the 15th century were often imbued with symbolism.  In Jan van Eyck's Giovanni Arnolfini and His Bride, we see a newly married couple holding hands.  It is, however, easy to miss some objects that were included in this painting very purposefully to be symbolic.  For example, a dog is in the painting to allude to the fidelity of the couple (dogs being known for their loyalty), the cast aside clogs indicate that the couple stands on sanctified ground, there is a statue of St. Margaret who is the patron saint of childbirth, and there is also a whisk broom to serve as a symbol of domestic care.

Source: 
Gardner, Helen, and Fred S. Kleiner. Gardner's Art through the Ages: The Western Perspective. Australia: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning, 2010. Print.

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