The Arnolfini Portrait

Jan van Eyck. The Arnolfini Portrait. 1434. Oil on oak panel. 82.2 cm x 60 cm. National Gallery, London.

The Arnolfini Portrait (or Portrait of Giovanni Arnolfini and His Wife, or other title variations) is Jan van Eyck’s most famous painting. The main misconception about this painting is that viewers today tend to believe this painting caused so much controversy because it depicts a wedding scene with an-already pregnant bride. Whether or not she is pregnant is still up of interpretation, but it is not why this portrait has become a famous work of art. The reason for the painting’s great appeal is seen through both its subject matter and significance.

The subject matter has a number of interpretations, though they all agree the painting is a depiction of a united couple. What is actually happening between the two figures is what is up for discussion. Some interpretations of the scene are: a wedding, a betrothal, or the most significant, a “power of attorney” where a husband declares that in his absence, his wife may act on his behalf. The significance of the subject matter is the very fact that it is not definite what the scene is. Evidence of both it being a religious union or a law-binding contract (though marriage falls into both these categories) falls into the style of the painting: iconography.

Almost every detail of The Arnolfini portrait has significant meaning. The most important is the artist’s signature on the wall. Translated it says “Jan van Eyck was here, 1434”. Usually, when an artist signed a portrait it would’ve been translated into “…made this.” The difference between the two shows that the painting is a piece of evidence that the event takes place, and the artist is a witness. Also in the mirror below the signature reflects two additional figures watching the couple; again acting as witnesses to the event. The one candle in the chandelier is also symboling that a legal action is taking place.

Other icons depict religious meanings, reflecting its significance in the eyes of God. The mirror can also represent the all-seeing eye of God and its roundels in the frame depict the Passion of Christ, which is used as a reminder of Christian redemption. The statuette carving on the bedpost is Saint Margaret, the fruit is a symbol for the Garden of Eden, and the one-lit candle in the chandelier is also an icon of Christ’s presence.

There are several icons resembling fertility in the marriage, such as the carved Saint Margaret on the bedpost who is the protector of women in childbirth; the fruit by the window being ripened by the sun; the representation of the man standing next to the window, indicating his role in the outside world, while his wife (?) stands on the interior side representing the domestic role of wife and mother; and though it is unknown if the woman is or isn’t pregnant she still holds her belly, an indication of childbearing.

Lastly, many contents of the painting are icons of wealth. Once again, the mirror is a luxury item, which reflects all of the household goods in the room. The dog, which is a rare breed, is another sign of the couple’s fortune. It also is a symbol of loyalty and fidelity.

IN POP CULTURE

The greatest adaptation is the painting’s use in the opening credits for ABC’s Desperate Housewives. The painting becomes an animation where the woman sweeps and pats her belly. Because of the show’s title, and the rest of the opening’s context with other artworks depicting “housewives”. In this context, it is emphasized the idea that the woman is pregnant and that the scene is a marriage. It disregards the idea that the woman only holds her stomach as a symbol of fertility, and that an interpretation of the painting is the scene of a legal documentation.

American Gothic

Grant Wood. American Gothic. 1930. Oil on beaverboard, 2ft, 5 7/8 in. x 2ft 7/8 in. The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago.

The most common misconception about Wood's painting is that it depicts a husband and wife, when truthfully it is of a father and unmarried daughter. What intrigued Wood to create this painting, and one of the reasons this work became an icon, is because of the house's window depicted in the background. The arch shape is a replica of the windows used in Gothic style Cathedrals in Europe. Wood was fascinated when he saw this window used on the small, American farmhouse; as did the painting's viewers. The painting gained instant fame because it was a representational and non abstract work that was produced during the height of abstract art and cubism. Many people who felt alienated by these movements found comfort in American Gothic's simplicity. The painting was referred to as the icon of American spirit. This is most evident in the couple: simply dressed, modest expressions, and the hard labor made to achieve the American dream, as shown through the farm land/house/barn, and the farmer's pitchfork and wrinkled overalls.

Spoofs:

Well, besides that there are THOUSANDS made by Average Joe's, there are also many wide renown parodies of American Gothic used in the mass media and popular culture.

The first parody of Wood's piece is by Gordon Parks:

Along with several political humor issues depicting Presidents and First Ladies, others include:

Many movies, and TV shows have used American Gothic for the publicity posters/ DVD covers.

The painting is also parodied in the opening sequence of the TV Show Desperate Housewives, and the lead characters of Green Acres stand in a similar pose in their show's opening.

There are also shots of characters in movies such as Beauty and the Beast and Rocky Horror Picture Show also repeat the pose.

The Scream

Edvard Munch. The Scream. 1893. Tempera and casein on cardboard. 36x29 in. Nasjonalgalleriet (National Gallery), Oslo, Norway

Style(s): Symbolism, Expressionism, Abstract, Impressionism

Significance: This tends to be over seen. Why has The Scream been known to be one of the most famous pieces in Art History. This is mostly due to the echoing of curves in the figure's mouth and skull; and in the water and clouds, as if to represent the sound coming from the figure booms out into the space around him. It is also famous for its use of a primitive form.

The most interesting thing about Munch's painting is its title. Although it is commonly recognized as The Scream, there is also some evidence that it is called The Cry. Marilyn Stokstad's Art History textbook refers to it as The Scream, however Gardner's Art Through The Ages (Kleiner & Mamiya) calls it The Cry. The Edvard Munch website calls the painting The Scream, however it does acknowledge that it is sometimes referred to as The Cry. The Oslo National Gallery (where the painting is housed) website calls it The Scream, as well as The Munch Museum, which holds another variation of the painting (by Munch).

The question of the title leads into the question of the painting's subject. If the title is a misconception of the piece, then so is the content. When it is called The Scream, audiences obviously look at the subject as a person screaming. It also then is assumed that he is frightened by the two figures in the background approaching him. However in reference to the epigraph Munch wrote himself:

" I stopped and leaned against the balustrade, almost dead with fatigue. Above the blue-black fjord hung the clouds, red as blood and tongues of fire. My friends had left me, and alone, trembling with anguish, I became aware of the vast, infinite cry of nature."

This is quoted in several of my sources; including the ones which refer to the piece as The Scream. By this standard it should be called The Cry and the subject is someone crying because the two figures are LEAVING.

Later I found out that the piece is named Skrik, which is the Norwegian word for shriek, cry, and/or scream. So it is hard to know which Munch was trying to depict: someone crying due to a loss, or a scream due to fear.

In POP CULTURE

in Home Alone

in Looney Tunes: Back in Action

in Scream (the mask)

The Scream balloon

and the following images:

The Inflatable Scream (which i found a picture of) is used in the sitcom The Nanny at least twice. In one particular episode, the context is changed to an expression of shock.

The painting was used in an M&Ms ad to introduce M&Ms dark chocolate (pictured below)

Overview

This Blog is for my Independent Study entitled Rhetoric of Adaptations of Art. In this independent study I will be researching famous artworks. At the end of the semester (for my final project) I will put all my findings together in a (large) research paper. In this paper/ what I plan to find in my research will include: the general information (i.e. Title, Artist, Date, Subject Matter, Style, and Significance), elaborating on any misconceptions about the piece; and the painting's use in popular culture.

Each week I will be posting my research/observations on this blog of 1 or 2 of the pieces I plan to research.

Artworks to be Researched (not in any particular order)

The Scream (Munch)

Mona Lisa (Da Vinci)

Last Supper (Da Vinci)

Sunday Afternoon in the Park (Seurat)

Luncheon on the Grass (Manet)

Starry Night (Van Gogh)

A PICASSO painting (TBD)

Giovanni and his Bride (Jan van Eyck)

American Gothic (Wood)

Persistence of Memory (Dali)

Sistine Chapel (Michaelangelo)