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Jan Van Eyck, The Arnolfini Portrait

by Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker

Jan Van Eyck, The Arnolfini Portrait,1434, tempera and oil on oak panel, 82.2 x 60 cm (National Gallery, London)

Using infrared reflectography, Rachel Billinge explains aspects of the artist’s meticulous underdrawing for the work and some of the fascinating secrets it reveals.

Additional resources:

This painting at The National Gallery

The many questions surrounding Jan Van Eyck’s Arnolfini Portrait (from ARTstor)

Smarthistory images for teaching and learning:

Jan Van Eyck, Dog detail, The Arnolfini Portrait, detail

Jan Van Eyck, Oranges detail, The Arnolfini Portrait

Jan Van Eyck, Shoes detail, The Arnolfini Portrait

Jan Van Eyck, detail with male, The Arnolfini Portrait

Jan Van Eyck, Mirror detail, The Arnolfini Portrait

Jan Van Eyck, Drapery detail, The Arnolfini Portrait

Jan Van Eyck, detail with woman, The Arnolfini Portrait

Jan Van Eyck, detail with woman close, The Arnolfini Portrait

Jan Van Eyck, Carpet detail, The Arnolfini Portrait

Jan Van Eyck, Couple detail close, The Arnolfini Portrait

Camera phone and Van Eyck's The Arnolfini Portrait

Jan Van Eyck, Lower section detail, The Arnolfini Portrait

Jan Van Eyck, couple detail, The Arnolfini Portrait

Jan Van Eyck, Dress detail, The Arnolfini Portrait

More Smarthistory images…

Cite this page as: Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker, "Jan Van Eyck, The Arnolfini Portrait," in Smarthistory, November 25, 2015, accessed June 9, 2023, https://smarthistory.org/jan-van-eyck-the-arnolfini-portrait/.