The Arnolfini Portrait by Jan Van Eyck: Great Art Explained

My other channel, Great Books Explained here - @greatbooksexplained371 Please consider supporting this channel on Patreon (and getting exclusive content), thanks! or if you prefer a one-off donation - Alternatively, every video has a “thanks“ button under it- I appreciate it! Subscribe and click the bell icon to be notified! “What a brilliant series this is“ - Stephen Fry on Twitter 12 December 2020 “Thoroughly researched and cleverly presented, with stunning visuals, Great Art Explained makes you realise that familiarity with a work of art sometimes makes us indifferent to its power“ - Forbes Magazine, 9 July 2020 I started “Great Art Explained“ during lockdown. My aim is to make videos which focus on one great artwork. I want to present art in a jargon free, entertaining, clear and concise way with no gimmicks. Subscribe and click the bell icon to get more arts content. Each video takes me about three weeks to a month, so I download at least once a month: The Arnolfini Portrait by Jan Van Eyck has baffled art historians ever since it was painted in 1434. It has been dissected and analysed, maybe more than any other painting in history, and in the process, become even more mysterious. During the medieval period, a rapid expansion in trade and commerce led to the rise of a new class, the incredibly wealthy and powerful merchant class. Bruges in the 15th century was the hub of international trade, and people came from all over the world, wanting to get rich. Including the Arnolfinis from Lucca in Italy. As those Merchants became richer, their appetite for social status grew. Consumerism was rampant and the ultimate way to show off your wealth was to commission a portrait. And by the 1430s, a portrait by Jan Van Eyke was the most exclusive status symbol CREDITS All the videos, songs, images, and graphics used in the video belong to their respective owners and I or this channel does not claim any right over them. Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Chinese subtitles: Charles Xue Spanish Subtitles by Giuliana Tomio BOOKS Van Eyck - Maximiliaan Martens Van Eyck and the founders of Early Netherlandish Painting - Otto Pacht Arnolfini Portrait: Stories of an Icon - Linda Seidel Girl in a Green Gown: the History and Mystery of the Arnolfini Portrait - Carola Hicks VIDEOS A Stitch in Time - WEBSITES PAPERS/GRAPHICS The Arnolfini Portrait in 3D (computer Graphics used) by PH Jansen and M Ruttkay Categories and Subject Descriptors (according to ACM CCS): [Computer Graphics]: 3d modeling, cultural heritage Intro music: JS Bach “Sonata for violin solo No.1 in G Minor” The Arnolfini Portrait, National Gallery