EYCK, Jan van
(b. before 1395, Maaseik, d. before 1441, Bruges)

Portrait of Giovanni Arnolfini and his Wife (detail)

1434
Oil on oak
National Gallery, London

Despite the restricted space, the painter has contrived to surround them with a host of symbols. To the left, the oranges placed on the low table and the windowsill are a reminder of an original innocence, of an age before sin. Unless, that is, they are not in fact oranges but apples (it is difficult to be certain), in which case they would represent the temptation of knowledge and the Fall.




© Web Gallery of Art, created by Emil Krén and Daniel Marx.