I always thought that the wife looked shy and the husband very serious. I love the intimacy of this painting. Those slippers and oranges make the home seem private- not cleaned up for company.
I absolutely love when you examine artwork and artists! We learn so much about the era in which the subjects lived. It’s like a visual journal left for future generations.
I love this series! It is so much more interesting to go into greater depth this way. I made a cup of tea and sat down as if I were chatting with a friend. You would have been a great professor, Jennifer.
Wonderful video! As a child when i saw this painting I always thought she looked pregnant. It almost seems he has his hand raised to give a blessing and her hand is open and upturned to recieve it. May you have a blessed and happy Thanksgiving!!
I never realized the poem “over the river and through the woods” was a Thanksgiving poem; I always thought it was about Christmas! I guess I’d only ever heard the first verse. I’m going to look it up and read it with my children this Thanksgiving season. 🙏🏻
I hope you enjoyed this month's Seek Out the Arts ♥ Here is a link to Luke Faulkner's Ballade ruclips.net/video/tvAwT8JA3ng/видео.html and if you're interested in joining The Chic Society (channel memberships), you can check it out here ruclips.net/channel/UCEnEnLT5wBVnK56QFRg_Iwgjoin Have a wonderful weekend, everyone! Love, Jennifer
Thank you for enriching my life, its never to late in life to be a daily Connoisseur, I am 66 and enjoy your content so much. I have never seen this painting 🖼 thank you for bringing it to life!!! The poetry was such a treat too!
Hello Jennifer! Thank you for sharing this painting with everyone. It’s truly a gem! Doug and I were so lucky to see it this summer at the National Gallery in London. We took the time to learn all about it, then made a point to visit and see it in person. Thank you for teaching me to seek out the arts! Cheers! 🎉 Monique
In my family, we often read aloud or recited poems during times together. We even did ladies luncheons and teas for our friends and family in which everyone brought a poem to share.
Oh, this is wonderful! We do this too, but it’s our children who recite poems for everyone (but occasionally the adults share one, too). It’s always a joy. We do one each season. 💛
Someone may have already mentioned this, but the shoes at the husband’s feet are outdoor clogs, the type someone would strap onto the bottom of delicate shoes or wear alone when the streets were muddy. Streets without paving or cobblestones would get muddy during the rainy time of year. This would make sense if it were spring. And if you look closely, you can see mud on the clogs. 👡😊❤
I love how he was able to paint her dress with the texture of linen. I also wonder if her bright colors in juxtaposition to his dark colors represent how he felt after her death.
I love this review on the Arnolfini Portrait. His hand may be up because he is praying or blessing his deceased wife. If they were Catholic, he would be praying for the repose of her soul. Thank you for sharing the beautiful poems. :) I especially love the "Over the River and Through the Wood." I just cleaned out my wardrobe, so I am ready for the cool weather. It is only 39 here in Oregon.
Hi Jennifer, You are a really good Art History teacher. I was an art major in college and had to take a few Art History classes. You presented some interesting things about this painting that my college professors missed. Thanks so much. Have a wonderful day. xo, Karen
Hi Jennifer This is not related but when I saw this quote I thought of you: "I think everything in life is art. What you do. How you dress. The way you love someone, and how you talk. Your smile and your personality. What you believe in, and all your dreams. The way you drink your tea, How you decorate your home. Or party, Your grocery list. The food you make. How your writing looks. And the way you feel. Life is art. " -Helena Bonham Carter
Thank you for teaching us about art Jennifer. Especially interesting for this Dutch girl today 💕 It’s november and I saw a blossoming tree this afternoon: we’ve had a really warm autumn so far. So perhaps that was the case in the year that Van Eyck made this painting 😉
Jennifer, I am so enjoying this "Seek out the Arts" segment of your channel! I LOVE how you dissected this lovely painting. It's so interesting to learn the details of a painting, and you do it so well. Thank you!! 🥰
I really enjoyed this video. Thanks for bring us these pieces of art. i wish you, Jennifer and all friends of the channel a beautiful and lovely week. 🌹
I love this new series! Taking a deeper look is so FUN! I loved everything in this and the previous video last month! Thank you so much, Jennifer, for providing unique content that makes the world a better place!!!!
I looked up the hand gestures, and the hand held like that means “Dimitto,” or I release, or let go. Escape, or slip away. So that would make a lot of sense with the candle and timing of the painting.
That last poem was a pleasant surprise! The first couple paragraphs were popularly quoted when I was growing up in the seventies. It was also put to music. Thanks for that pleasant memory of innocent childhood holidays. 💖🌹
Lovely and informative as usual, Dear Jennifer. I saw an episode of “stitch in time” on the BBC and they recreated her dress using the methods of the time period.
We used to sing a song in my elementary school choir over the rivers and thru the woods I didn’t know it was a poem Thank you w Jennifer You learn something new every day
I remember many years ago, an art history class where we pondered this very painting. So many things to see. I'm singing Over the River and Through the Woods!"
Thank you for sharing Faulkner's music! I love finding new musicians to listen to here on RUclips. Makes beautiful, fresh classical music so much more accessible!
This is one of the paintings I remember more vividly from my art history course in college. My professor told us that it is likely a wedding portrait because she looks pregnant but isn't... Apparently it was a popular style in that time to hold your dress in such a way that you look pregnant, especially for a wedding. It was seen as an attractive thing to show how you could look while you're expecting and that your intention was to have children. Maybe that's just one interpretation, though, because I learned so much just from this video wasn't explained to me before!
My favorite Autumn poem is: Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns. 🍁 George Eliot
Jennifer, Luke Faulkner is delightful! My husband even said “Nice music!” You bring paintings alive…thank you for sharing your insights with us. I do have a question-how does one stay chic when doing dirty yard work, garage cleanups, etc.? My husband is disabled so I am the lucky one who gets to do these jobs!
That is an interesting painting.... Why would they want shoes laying around their portrait? I also find the intricate woodwork on the furniture intriguing as well as their hats.
This is fascinating!! I did not know the history of that painting, and the mysteries surrounding it with her death a year prior. My thoughts: I always thought she was pregnant. I know fashion at the time was designed to emulate the look of Virgin Mary, with empire waists and making a “pregnant look”. It was always odd to me that she was dressed in such vibrant color and he was so drab/dark. It was also odd to me that they stood so far apart and her hand seemed to be slipping from his. Now after hearing your deep dive, I am almost certain that she must have died in childbirth! (Very common at the time) My guess is that this painting was almost a way of him grieving and reconciling her death - I think those are Catholic hand gestures for a blessing & release? He seems to be giving her the blessing, letting her go, but his eyes are downcast. Her eyes are fixed on him, open to receiving the blessing but going to a much brighter, colorful place. That’s my two cents! How fascinating!
This painting has been of much interest to me since I moved to SouthWest England where there is an Arnolfini Art gallery,(Bristol) so named because this is the founders favourite painting! One or two things I have learnt is that the man's hand gesture signifies an oath, possibly that the husband is 'handing over' the rights for the wife to conduct business on his or her behalf. fThe male subjects shoes, called patens, were a covering for indoor footwear that were made as protection from the outdoor elements. The idea that he has taken his off implies that he would no longer stray, hinting at his fidelity towards his wife, potentially signifying that, for religious beliefs, he would not remarry after her death. This is further used as proof that the female subject was painted posthumously, which is the theory most often accepted. There's so much to reflect upon in this painting.
Jennifer, Thank you for sharing your interpretation of the details on this portrait; the clothing detail is exquisite! As to their facial expression: perhaps they are showing their somber feelings of a marriage shortened by death? The painters signature is tastefully added here, IMO. Enjoying these Dutch artist talent! Julie 🌷
Yes, they do looked bored, and personally, if I stood like that for a long period of time, I wouldn't have a happy face. I love going to the art museum with my husband because we make things up why the characters are presented in the painting. We have such fun projecting OUR ideas into what is happening in the painting. "Who says art museums are boring." Not us! Happy Thanksgiving Jennifer.
I am loving the dissecting of paintings. I've seen some of the artwork you mention but never looked into them. I'm really interested in doing so going forward.
Fascinating painting. Thank you for the deep dive into it. I had not seen it before and don’t particularly like it, but was mesmerized with the details you pointed out. 😊
This new series is fantastic! I especially love the deep dives into famous paintings like this one. But (like everyone else) I'm left wanting more answers!
I thought I would miss the Chic Assignment, but should've known better. This is wonderful, Jennifer! Looking forward to next month already. I applaud you for changing things up! Thank you!
Very informative video as always! Thank you Jennifer for sharing the arts with us. As a Dutch person it is very special to hear you mention people from Holland. Such as Vincent van Gogh and now Jan van Eyk. Keep up the great work! PS thank you very much for sharing Luke's music with us! I went to check out his channel and saw a lot of your viewers loving his music!
I love Luke Faulkner’s music! Young, modern composers who are paving their own way are so inspiring. Another favourite of mine is Alexandra Streliski, particularly her “Inscape” album. Also really enjoyed the commentary on the painting, which I have seen before but never had the opportunity to find out the stories behind it.
Thank you for this series, I'm enjoying it very much. When I first saw the painting I also thought the woman was pregnant and was curious about the writing above the mirror. I enjoyed all 3 poems and the piano piece was lovely as well!
Hi Jennifer, there was a BBC series a few years ago called "A Stitch in Time" where a fashion historian, Amber Butchart, discussed the clothing worn in old paintings. She then worked with a seamstress to recreate some items and this green gown was one of them. Unfortunately it is not available on iplayer any longer. It was really interesting and informative.
Jennifer, thanks for calling attention to Luke Faulkner. What beautiful music! Two of my favorites so far are The Road to Casterbridge and Autumn Sonnet. 💕
regarding the shoes. Those were shoes worn over their house shoes/slippers and they were usually heeled to protect their slippers from getting ruined. I am not familiar with the hand gestures.
Hmm. The hand gesture is interesting! If this was done after she died, perhaps the one hand holding hers represents the part of him that still desires what cannot be; and the hand held up (to me) seems to say no to that; he must move on. I don’t know. But I enjoyed your sharing about the painting!
My thought about the man and woman in the painting is that the man’s hand gesture looks like a priest, blessing, a congregation or some thing. And my thoughts on the woman is what is the significance of the color green that she is wearing? It probably doesn’t symbolize money because I don’t know if they had paper money that was green. Was that culturally a symbol of wealth or was that something that a die was very expensive in that color I don’t know that’s just a thought I had. On the poem over the River and through the Woods… I remember seeing that as a child in school around Thanksgiving time. I forgot about it. Thank you for the great video.
Jennifer please watch The Arnolfini Portrait Great Art Explained on RUclips. It explains Jan van Eyck's symbolism in this beautiful piece. Great pic for us to learn about! Thank you!
Do you know where this painting is displayed? I’m sure I can google but I’d love to see this information as part of Seek Out The Arts, I’m always curious 😊
I think she had passed on and this depicts the richness of their life together and the richness of the afterlife. It’s like heaven on earth and heaven above. His arm is reaching heavenward.
About oranges- few of us realize that oranges grow in Mediterranean and subtropical climates only. In Europe, that would be Greece, southern Italy, etc. Today, oranges are easily imported and readily available in the most frigid climates. To have them in their home, the Arnolfinis must have brought them either by a ship or special carrier, mostly because roads back then were primitive. The oranges must have been picked while still green to withstand the trip, as bringing such cargo to the Netherlands from Italy would have taken weeks. The reason why they keep them on the window sill is to finish the ripening- they placed them where the light and sun's warmth could reach and continue the ripening process. My grandma used to pick quinces off her tree and keep them on the window sills for weeks both to ripen and release their magnificent fragrance in the room ( that was before the essential oils were sold in little bottles).
All artists watching this video will know that you can place into a composition anything you want or take something out. I hope I'm explaining that correctly. When I paint any composition I take things out and put other things in. The cherry tree could have been dormant and he could have chosen to have it in full bloom and the oranges could have been randomly placed there. Only the artist knows. That is what makes art so subjective and mysterious.
Every year on Thanksgiving, before we would eat the bountiful feast, my father would read to us this poem: *Five Kernels of Corn* by Hezekiah Butterworth The first few winters in the New World were treacherous for the new colonists. The settlers of the Plymouth colony died in droves from both sickness and starvation. In this verse the necessity of rationing the meager food resources is set alongside the abundant moral reserves of the people. Long a part of New England holiday tradition-before the turkey is carved each member of the family is served a mere five kernels of corn, after which this inspiring poem is recited-the remembrance of Plymouth has become a symbol of the incredible blessing of this land. ‘Twas the year of the famine in Plymouth of old, The ice and the snow from the thatched roofs had rolled; Through the warm purple skies steered the geese o’er the seas, And the woodpeckers tapped in the clocks of the trees; And the boughs on the slopes to the south winds lay bare, And dreaming of summer, the buds swelled in the air. The pale Pilgrims welcomed each reddened morn; There were left but for rations Five Kernels of Corn. Five Kernels of Corn! Five Kernels of Corn! But to Bradford a feast were Five Kernels of Corn! “Five Kernels of Corn! Five Kernels of Corn! Ye people, be glad for Five Kernels of Corn! “ So Bradford cried out on bleak Burial Hill, And the thin women stood in their doors, white and still. “Lo, the harbor of Plymouth rolls bright in the Spring, The maples grow red, and the wood robins sing, The west wind is blowing, and fading the snow And pleasant pines sing, and arbutuses blow. Five Kernels of Corn! Five Kernels of Corn! To each one be given Five Kernels of Corn! O Bradford of Austerfield hast on the way. The west winds are blowing o’er Provincetown Bay, The white avens bloom, but the pine domes are chill, And new graves have furrowed Precisioners’ Hill! “Give thanks, all ye people, the warm skies have come, The hilltops are sunny, and green grows the holm, And the trumpets of wins, and the white March is gone, And ye still have left you Five Kernels of Corn! Five Kernels of Corn! Five Kernels of Corn! Ye have for Thanksgiving Five Kernels of Corn! “The raven’s gift eat and be humble and pray, A new light is breaking, and Truth leads your way; One taper a thousand shall kindle; rejoice That to you has been given the wilderness voice!” O Bradford of Austerfield, daring the wave, And safe through the sounding blasts leading the brave, Of deeds such as thine was the free nation born, And the festal world sings the “Five Kernels of Corn.” Five Kernels of Corn! Five Kernels of Corn! The nation gives thanks for Five Kernels of Corn! To the Thanksgiving Feast bring Five Kernels of Corn! ( A sobering reminder to be thankful from The Patriot’s Handbook, George Grant, Cumberland House Publishing, Nashville, 1996)
Another thought, what if the artist knew the couple? What if he surprised the husband by painting the portrait? He went to the home to get the room right, and left it with his signature that he had been there? A belated wedding gift after finding out the wife had died? The rest was memory and imagination? He’s telling the husband he was there, I’m sorry for what happened, this is my belated wedding gift?
Maybe this is how he remembered the couple being dressed for their wedding if he had been present? She has cast off her shoes and her candle had been burned out. His shoes are muddy. Maybe that was a detail the artist remembered about the groom from their actual wedding? A funny detail?
Sorry, so many comments, but I really don’t know many men who would ask for request an expensive portrait WITH a deceased wife. I think this was a kind gift from a kind friend unexpectedly.
What if, being a bachelor, the husband left the shoes strewn about and the apartment messy when the artist visited. What if they had oranges at the wedding the artist attended? This, the disconnect with the clothes and the season. The artist remembered their gorgeous wedding clothes, as a guest, with amazing detail. But, he was there in the spring to see the room. The husband was pledging his love and making the wedding oath when the artist last saw him. This couple, being connected and wealthy, surely would have had amazing wedding guests. Where were the married?
In addition to my other comment, most of the “portraits”, if not all, would have been purely his imagination. He wouldn’t have had lots of photographs of the wife to draw from. The room and husband may have been his only real subjects. Or, what if he stood only in the room and the husband and wife were both imagined? He saw the husband once, stood in the room and created it all. He could choose any clothes, any fruit, any dog, and that was his mark. Thus, the artist was here, meaning the actual room?
I was just thinking about the places I would have put my name on that I was there. It was always after an epic mountain climb where I signed the registration at the top. It was a hard climb to get there, and it was to signify that I had actually been to there. I was a tourist of sorts. The artist wanted us to know he had been in the home and in the room. That is why he put it on the wall. He felt like a tourist in the home. He was allowed a lot of artistic liberty with most, if not all, of the portrait. I also signed the registry so that if I got lost, those looking for me could literally know where I had been. He’s telling us he was literally in the room. The wife certainly wasn’t there, and maybe even the husband was painted from memory or another portrait?
The painting to me is about ostentatious wealth (carelessly strewn oranges, personal possessions etc) and a sense of achievement in life. A rich couple about to leave the house wearing their warm clothes as heaven forbid they would feel a chill. The hand gestures seems odd to me, on the left the man sneeringly is raising his hand as if to say "no, stop" whereas his wife on the right is looking very meekly at him with her right hand open as if she is offering him something whilst clutching the front of her voluminous expensive dress. I would love to know how many children alive they had. The bright candle alight on the left in contrast to the spent candle on the right suggests both celebration and grief in this marriage. The poetry is not really my cup of tea. I will listen to the music you suggest. Thank you for giving us pause for thought.
His hand gesture reminds me of the gesture made by priests when conferring a blessing. Maybe, if this is a posthumous painting, he is giving her his blessings.
Maybe you would like to checkout the series “Stitches in Time” by the fashion historian Amber Butchard. In this series she recreates, with the help of English artisans, the clothing of major pieces of art. The Arnolfini green dress is one such recreation. The series is worth watching for the history of clothing construction even if you had no interest in art. I was heart broken when the series finished. I hope you or some of your subscribers enjoy this marvellous series.🇦🇺🦘
Thank you so much for the feature, Jennifer! It was such a wonderful surprise and completely made my weekend 🥰
It's such an honor for you to visit the channel, Luke! And it's my pleasure to feature your beautiful piece in this episode. Thank you!
I always thought that the wife looked shy and the husband very serious. I love the intimacy of this painting. Those slippers and oranges make the home seem private- not cleaned up for company.
I absolutely love when you examine artwork and artists! We learn so much about the era in which the subjects lived. It’s like a visual journal left for future generations.
I love this series! It is so much more interesting to go into greater depth this way. I made a cup of tea and sat down as if I were chatting with a friend. You would have been a great professor, Jennifer.
Wonderful video! As a child when i saw this painting I always thought she looked pregnant. It almost seems he has his hand raised to give a blessing and her hand is open and upturned to recieve it. May you have a blessed and happy Thanksgiving!!
I never realized the poem “over the river and through the woods” was a Thanksgiving poem; I always thought it was about Christmas! I guess I’d only ever heard the first verse. I’m going to look it up and read it with my children this Thanksgiving season. 🙏🏻
I love that you’ve brought Luke Faulkner to the forefront.
What a talent!
Thank you for this Jennifer.
He is amazing!
I hope you enjoyed this month's Seek Out the Arts ♥ Here is a link to Luke Faulkner's Ballade ruclips.net/video/tvAwT8JA3ng/видео.html and if you're interested in joining The Chic Society (channel memberships), you can check it out here ruclips.net/channel/UCEnEnLT5wBVnK56QFRg_Iwgjoin Have a wonderful weekend, everyone! Love, Jennifer
I've been listening to Luke Faulkner's new beginnings and ballade this whole year. I love his music and glad it featured here
Thank you for enriching my life, its never to late in life to be a daily Connoisseur, I am 66 and enjoy your content so much. I have never seen this painting 🖼 thank you for bringing it to life!!!
The poetry was such a treat too!
I thought I was the only 60ish connoisseur here! Welcome! Never too late. ❤
I'm 61 :)
Hello Jennifer! Thank you for sharing this painting with everyone. It’s truly a gem! Doug and I were so lucky to see it this summer at the National Gallery in London. We took the time to learn all about it, then made a point to visit and see it in person. Thank you for teaching me to seek out the arts! Cheers! 🎉 Monique
In my family, we often read aloud or recited poems during times together. We even did ladies luncheons and teas for our friends and family in which everyone brought a poem to share.
Oh, this is wonderful! We do this too, but it’s our children who recite poems for everyone (but occasionally the adults share one, too). It’s always a joy. We do one each season. 💛
Someone may have already mentioned this, but the shoes at the husband’s feet are outdoor clogs, the type someone would strap onto the bottom of delicate shoes or wear alone when the streets were muddy. Streets without paving or cobblestones would get muddy during the rainy time of year. This would make sense if it were spring. And if you look closely, you can see mud on the clogs. 👡😊❤
I love how he was able to paint her dress with the texture of linen. I also wonder if her bright colors in juxtaposition to his dark colors represent how he felt after her death.
I love this review on the Arnolfini Portrait. His hand may be up because he is praying or blessing his deceased wife. If they were Catholic, he would be praying for the repose of her soul. Thank you for sharing the beautiful poems. :) I especially love the "Over the River and Through the Wood." I just cleaned out my wardrobe, so I am ready for the cool weather. It is only 39 here in Oregon.
Hi Jennifer, You are a really good Art History teacher. I was an art major in college and had to take a few Art History classes. You presented some interesting things about this painting that my college professors missed. Thanks so much. Have a wonderful day. xo, Karen
Hi Jennifer
This is not related but when I saw this quote I thought of you:
"I think everything in life is art. What you do.
How you dress. The way you love someone,
and how you talk. Your smile and your
personality. What you believe in, and all your
dreams. The way you drink your tea, How
you decorate your home. Or party, Your
grocery list. The food you make. How your
writing looks. And the way you feel. Life is
art. "
-Helena Bonham Carter
I love that! Thank you for sharing it with me ♥️
Thank you for teaching us about art Jennifer. Especially interesting for this Dutch girl today 💕 It’s november and I saw a blossoming tree this afternoon: we’ve had a really warm autumn so far. So perhaps that was the case in the year that Van Eyck made this painting 😉
I grew up in the Midwest in a middle class family and we only had oranges at Christmas. Only the rich had them . This was the fifties.
Jennifer, I am so enjoying this "Seek out the Arts" segment of your channel! I LOVE how you dissected this lovely painting. It's so interesting to learn the details of a painting, and you do it so well. Thank you!! 🥰
I could listen to Jennifer recite poetry all day, every day!
Ah, thank you!
I agree, Daniela!
Thank you for this. Just what we are missing in our busy world. God bless.
I really enjoyed this video. Thanks for bring us these pieces of art.
i wish you, Jennifer and all friends of the channel a beautiful and lovely week. 🌹
Thank you, Miriam.
I love this new series! Taking a deeper look is so FUN! I loved everything in this and the previous video last month! Thank you so much, Jennifer, for providing unique content that makes the world a better place!!!!
Thank you, Denise!
I looked up the hand gestures, and the hand held like that means “Dimitto,” or I release, or let go. Escape, or slip away. So that would make a lot of sense with the candle and timing of the painting.
That last poem was a pleasant surprise! The first couple paragraphs were popularly quoted when I was growing up in the seventies. It was also put to music. Thanks for that pleasant memory of innocent childhood holidays. 💖🌹
Lovely and informative as usual, Dear Jennifer.
I saw an episode of “stitch in time” on the BBC and they recreated her dress using the methods of the time period.
Yes! I recently watched that and it was so good.
I saw that too and it was amazing!
@@TheDailyConnoisseur May I suggest we discuss Caïn by Fernand Cormon for next month’s art.
Nov is my birthday month -- so I enjoy this assignment even more.
Happy birthday, my dear!
@@TheDailyConnoisseur TY for the present of your presence.
I always thought it was the reflection of the “ wedding couple” in the mirror. I’ve always loved this one.
I love the call to action built into the new name of this series.
We used to sing a song in my elementary school choir over the rivers and thru the woods
I didn’t know it was a poem
Thank you w Jennifer
You learn something new every day
I really enjoy looking at these paintings.
I am enjoying this series so much. Thank you.
I remember many years ago, an art history class where we pondered this very painting. So many things to see. I'm singing Over the River and Through the Woods!"
Thank you for sharing Faulkner's music! I love finding new musicians to listen to here on RUclips. Makes beautiful, fresh classical music so much more accessible!
I love these deep dives into the arts! We are using them in our homeschool and I am so grateful. :) Thank you!
This is one of the paintings I remember more vividly from my art history course in college. My professor told us that it is likely a wedding portrait because she looks pregnant but isn't... Apparently it was a popular style in that time to hold your dress in such a way that you look pregnant, especially for a wedding. It was seen as an attractive thing to show how you could look while you're expecting and that your intention was to have children. Maybe that's just one interpretation, though, because I learned so much just from this video wasn't explained to me before!
Just lovely! What a joy!
My favorite Autumn poem is:
Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns. 🍁
George Eliot
Jennifer, Luke Faulkner is delightful! My husband even said “Nice music!” You bring paintings alive…thank you for sharing your insights with us. I do have a question-how does one stay chic when doing dirty yard work, garage cleanups, etc.? My husband is disabled so I am the lucky one who gets to do these jobs!
Loved the poetry - especially Thanksgiving Day. Thank you.
I love this series. Thank you.
That is an interesting painting.... Why would they want shoes laying around their portrait? I also find the intricate woodwork on the furniture intriguing as well as their hats.
I'm constantly revamping/putting away my season wardrobe. I may do the same with books soon.
This is fascinating!! I did not know the history of that painting, and the mysteries surrounding it with her death a year prior.
My thoughts:
I always thought she was pregnant. I know fashion at the time was designed to emulate the look of Virgin Mary, with empire waists and making a “pregnant look”.
It was always odd to me that she was dressed in such vibrant color and he was so drab/dark. It was also odd to me that they stood so far apart and her hand seemed to be slipping from his.
Now after hearing your deep dive, I am almost certain that she must have died in childbirth! (Very common at the time) My guess is that this painting was almost a way of him grieving and reconciling her death - I think those are Catholic hand gestures for a blessing & release? He seems to be giving her the blessing, letting her go, but his eyes are downcast. Her eyes are fixed on him, open to receiving the blessing but going to a much brighter, colorful place.
That’s my two cents!
How fascinating!
I found this video so interesting in looking at the historical data about the painting. Thank you!
This painting has been of much interest to me since I moved to SouthWest England where there is an Arnolfini Art gallery,(Bristol) so named because this is the founders favourite painting! One or two things I have learnt is that the man's hand gesture signifies an oath, possibly that the husband is 'handing over' the rights for the wife to conduct business on his or her behalf. fThe male subjects shoes, called patens, were a covering for indoor footwear that were made as protection from the outdoor elements. The idea that he has taken his off implies that he would no longer stray, hinting at his fidelity towards his wife, potentially signifying that, for religious beliefs, he would not remarry after her death. This is further used as proof that the female subject was painted posthumously, which is the theory most often accepted.
There's so much to reflect upon in this painting.
Oh,Jennifer..that music from Luke is superb!now my new favorite ❤.
That was fun. Always nice to slow down with you. People in those days had pretty bad teeth, so the bored non smile keeps the teeth hidden.
The Bernstein Bear Thanksgiving Blessings book gives a nod to the last poem you read in a very cute way! Ha over the river and through the woods...
I have loved your Seek out the Arts and recently have been reading a book called Rembrandt in the Wind, which is excellent if you haven't read it yet.
Jennifer, Thank you for sharing your interpretation of the details on this portrait; the clothing detail is exquisite!
As to their facial expression: perhaps they are showing their somber feelings of a marriage shortened by death? The painters signature is tastefully added here, IMO. Enjoying these Dutch artist talent!
Julie 🌷
I love everything about this. Your color schemes in the thumbnail, to the title, to the actual content. Well done. Yes, let's seek the arts! 👏
Yes, they do looked bored, and personally, if I stood like that for a long period of time, I wouldn't have a happy face. I love going to the art museum with my husband because we make things up why the characters are presented in the painting. We have such fun projecting OUR ideas into what is happening in the painting. "Who says art museums are boring." Not us! Happy Thanksgiving Jennifer.
So cute
How delightful! I really enjoyed this :)
Thank you Jennifer! This was another great video. Also love Luke Faulkner- so talented.
I am loving the dissecting of paintings. I've seen some of the artwork you mention but never looked into them. I'm really interested in doing so going forward.
This was so enjoyable. It was a lovely and inspiring reprieve from the daily chores. I watched while resting m poor aching back ❤
Loved the content, I remember some of the poems from childhood, the artwork is magnificent ❤️
Fascinating painting. Thank you for the deep dive into it. I had not seen it before and don’t particularly like it, but was mesmerized with the details you pointed out. 😊
This new series is fantastic! I especially love the deep dives into famous paintings like this one. But (like everyone else) I'm left wanting more answers!
I thought I would miss the Chic Assignment, but should've known better. This is wonderful, Jennifer! Looking forward to next month already. I applaud you for changing things up! Thank you!
Loved it! And, thanks for the rec of Luke Faulkner's music! Just beautiful!
Very informative video as always! Thank you Jennifer for sharing the arts with us. As a Dutch person it is very special to hear you mention people from Holland. Such as Vincent van Gogh and now Jan van Eyk. Keep up the great work! PS thank you very much for sharing Luke's music with us! I went to check out his channel and saw a lot of your viewers loving his music!
I love Luke Faulkner’s music! Young, modern composers who are paving their own way are so inspiring. Another favourite of mine is Alexandra Streliski, particularly her “Inscape” album.
Also really enjoyed the commentary on the painting, which I have seen before but never had the opportunity to find out the stories behind it.
Wonderful !
I loved this!! Thank you so much, I hope you do many more about the arts and I love poetry!
I am once again so enamored with your content 😊
This was truly fascinating.
Thank you for this series, I'm enjoying it very much. When I first saw the painting I also thought the woman was pregnant and was curious about the writing above the mirror. I enjoyed all 3 poems and the piano piece was lovely as well!
Hi Jennifer, there was a BBC series a few years ago called "A Stitch in Time" where a fashion historian, Amber Butchart, discussed the clothing worn in old paintings. She then worked with a seamstress to recreate some items and this green gown was one of them. Unfortunately it is not available on iplayer any longer. It was really interesting and informative.
I loved this educational video! The Thanksgiving poem is soooo sweet!
Jennifer, thanks for calling attention to Luke Faulkner. What beautiful music! Two of my favorites so far are The Road to Casterbridge and Autumn Sonnet. 💕
Yes, he is wonderfully talented ♥️
Jennifer, you might enjoy the book “Rembrandt is in the wind” by Russ Ramsay. He talks about the works of ten painters.
Leadership is practiced not so much in words as in attitude and action. Harold S. Geneen
Jennifer, is like to learn how you find balance in your life. I’m either all work and no play, or vice versa. It’s frustrating and tiring
regarding the shoes. Those were shoes worn over their house shoes/slippers and they were usually heeled to protect their slippers from getting ruined. I am not familiar with the hand gestures.
You absolutely nailed my last name pronunciation!!!!!
I'm so glad! Welcome to The Chic Society
Hmm. The hand gesture is interesting! If this was done after she died, perhaps the one hand holding hers represents the part of him that still desires what cannot be; and the hand held up (to me) seems to say no to that; he must move on. I don’t know. But I enjoyed your sharing about the painting!
The mirror looks like their reflections.
My thought about the man and woman in the painting is that the man’s hand gesture looks like a priest, blessing, a congregation or some thing. And my thoughts on the woman is what is the significance of the color green that she is wearing? It probably doesn’t symbolize money because I don’t know if they had paper money that was green. Was that culturally a symbol of wealth or was that something that a die was very expensive in that color I don’t know that’s just a thought I had. On the poem over the River and through the Woods… I remember seeing that as a child in school around Thanksgiving time. I forgot about it. Thank you for the great video.
Jennifer please watch The Arnolfini Portrait Great Art Explained on RUclips. It explains Jan van Eyck's symbolism in this beautiful piece. Great pic for us to learn about! Thank you!
I will never understand how an artist is able to capture texture like that. It’s pretty incredible!
Do you know where this painting is displayed? I’m sure I can google but I’d love to see this information as part of Seek Out The Arts, I’m always curious 😊
It's at the 'National Gallery' in London. UK
I think she had passed on and this depicts the richness of their life together and the richness of the afterlife. It’s like heaven on earth and heaven above. His arm is reaching heavenward.
I recommend the amazing video on the painting featured on the thumbnail by youtuber Art Deco 😊
Yes, I saw her take on this painting a few weeks ago. Her channel is informative and entertaining.
About oranges- few of us realize that oranges grow in Mediterranean and subtropical climates only. In Europe, that would be Greece, southern Italy, etc. Today, oranges are easily imported and readily available in the most frigid climates.
To have them in their home, the Arnolfinis must have brought them either by a ship or special carrier, mostly because roads back then were primitive. The oranges must have been picked while still green to withstand the trip, as bringing such cargo to the Netherlands from Italy would have taken weeks. The reason why they keep them on the window sill is to finish the ripening- they placed them where the light and sun's warmth could reach and continue the ripening process. My grandma used to pick quinces off her tree and keep them on the window sills for weeks both to ripen and release their magnificent fragrance in the room ( that was before the essential oils were sold in little bottles).
All artists watching this video will know that you can place into a composition anything you want or take something out. I hope I'm explaining that correctly.
When I paint any composition I take things out and put other things in.
The cherry tree could have been dormant and he could have chosen to have it in full bloom and the oranges could have been randomly placed there. Only the artist knows. That is what makes art so subjective and mysterious.
👍👍💕💕
Every year on Thanksgiving, before we would eat the bountiful feast, my father would read to us this poem:
*Five Kernels of Corn*
by Hezekiah Butterworth
The first few winters in the New World were treacherous for the new colonists. The settlers of the Plymouth colony died in droves from both sickness and starvation. In this verse the necessity of rationing the meager food resources is set alongside the abundant moral reserves of the people. Long a part of New England holiday tradition-before the turkey is carved each member of the family is served a mere five kernels of corn, after which this inspiring poem is recited-the remembrance of Plymouth has become a symbol of the incredible blessing of this land.
‘Twas the year of the famine in Plymouth of old,
The ice and the snow from the thatched roofs had rolled; Through the warm purple skies steered the geese o’er the seas, And the woodpeckers tapped in the clocks of the trees; And the boughs on the slopes to the south winds lay bare, And dreaming of summer, the buds swelled in the air.
The pale Pilgrims welcomed each reddened morn; There were left but for rations Five Kernels of Corn.
Five Kernels of Corn!
Five Kernels of Corn!
But to Bradford a feast were Five Kernels of Corn!
“Five Kernels of Corn! Five Kernels of Corn!
Ye people, be glad for Five Kernels of Corn! “
So Bradford cried out on bleak Burial Hill,
And the thin women stood in their doors, white and still. “Lo, the harbor of Plymouth rolls bright in the Spring, The maples grow red, and the wood robins sing, The west wind is blowing, and fading the snow
And pleasant pines sing, and arbutuses blow.
Five Kernels of Corn!
Five Kernels of Corn!
To each one be given Five Kernels of Corn!
O Bradford of Austerfield hast on the way.
The west winds are blowing o’er Provincetown Bay, The white avens bloom, but the pine domes are chill, And new graves have furrowed Precisioners’ Hill! “Give thanks, all ye people, the warm skies have come, The hilltops are sunny, and green grows the holm, And the trumpets of wins, and the white March is gone, And ye still have left you Five Kernels of Corn! Five Kernels of Corn!
Five Kernels of Corn!
Ye have for Thanksgiving Five Kernels of Corn!
“The raven’s gift eat and be humble and pray,
A new light is breaking, and Truth leads your way; One taper a thousand shall kindle; rejoice
That to you has been given the wilderness voice!”
O Bradford of Austerfield, daring the wave,
And safe through the sounding blasts leading the brave, Of deeds such as thine was the free nation born, And the festal world sings the “Five Kernels of Corn.” Five Kernels of Corn!
Five Kernels of Corn!
The nation gives thanks for Five Kernels of Corn!
To the Thanksgiving Feast bring Five Kernels of Corn!
( A sobering reminder to be thankful from The Patriot’s Handbook, George Grant, Cumberland House Publishing, Nashville, 1996)
Another thought, what if the artist knew the couple? What if he surprised the husband by painting the portrait? He went to the home to get the room right, and left it with his signature that he had been there? A belated wedding gift after finding out the wife had died? The rest was memory and imagination? He’s telling the husband he was there, I’m sorry for what happened, this is my belated wedding gift?
Maybe this is how he remembered the couple being dressed for their wedding if he had been present? She has cast off her shoes and her candle had been burned out. His shoes are muddy. Maybe that was a detail the artist remembered about the groom from their actual wedding? A funny detail?
Sorry, so many comments, but I really don’t know many men who would ask for request an expensive portrait WITH a deceased wife. I think this was a kind gift from a kind friend unexpectedly.
The artist was in town, called on the couple, found out the news, the husband was traveling and he left it for the husband to find?
What if, being a bachelor, the husband left the shoes strewn about and the apartment messy when the artist visited. What if they had oranges at the wedding the artist attended? This, the disconnect with the clothes and the season. The artist remembered their gorgeous wedding clothes, as a guest, with amazing detail. But, he was there in the spring to see the room. The husband was pledging his love and making the wedding oath when the artist last saw him. This couple, being connected and wealthy, surely would have had amazing wedding guests. Where were the married?
The last poem is a piano piece.
green also could represent fertility
In addition to my other comment, most of the “portraits”, if not all, would have been purely his imagination. He wouldn’t have had lots of photographs of the wife to draw from. The room and husband may have been his only real subjects. Or, what if he stood only in the room and the husband and wife were both imagined? He saw the husband once, stood in the room and created it all. He could choose any clothes, any fruit, any dog, and that was his mark. Thus, the artist was here, meaning the actual room?
I was just thinking about the places I would have put my name on that I was there. It was always after an epic mountain climb where I signed the registration at the top. It was a hard climb to get there, and it was to signify that I had actually been to there. I was a tourist of sorts. The artist wanted us to know he had been in the home and in the room. That is why he put it on the wall. He felt like a tourist in the home. He was allowed a lot of artistic liberty with most, if not all, of the portrait. I also signed the registry so that if I got lost, those looking for me could literally know where I had been. He’s telling us he was literally in the room. The wife certainly wasn’t there, and maybe even the husband was painted from memory or another portrait?
They both look to me like very young, teenagers even...
The husband has always looked very gaunt to me and yet they were wealthy. Maybe this is the effect of his mourning.
I am seeing the backside of the two subjects in the mirror, plus another (maybe the artist?). Anyone else see this?
Yes, I see the backsides of the couple and another person.
The painting to me is about ostentatious wealth (carelessly strewn oranges, personal possessions etc) and a sense of achievement in life. A rich couple about to leave the house wearing their warm clothes as heaven forbid they would feel a chill. The hand gestures seems odd to me, on the left the man sneeringly is raising his hand as if to say "no, stop" whereas his wife on the right is looking very meekly at him with her right hand open as if she is offering him something whilst clutching the front of her voluminous expensive dress. I would love to know how many children alive they had. The bright candle alight on the left in contrast to the spent candle on the right suggests both celebration and grief in this marriage.
The poetry is not really my cup of tea. I will listen to the music you suggest. Thank you for giving us pause for thought.
His hand gesture reminds me of the gesture made by priests when conferring a blessing. Maybe, if this is a posthumous painting, he is giving her his blessings.
Maybe you would like to checkout the series “Stitches in Time” by the fashion historian Amber Butchard. In this series she recreates, with the help of English artisans, the clothing of major pieces of art. The Arnolfini green dress is one such recreation. The series is worth watching for the history of clothing construction even if you had no interest in art. I was heart broken when the series finished. I hope you or some of your subscribers enjoy this marvellous series.🇦🇺🦘
I saw that episode and it was wonderful!
Such a good show! I’m so sad it ended.