Interpretation Of Jan Van Eyck's Arnolfini Double Portrait

Interpreting Multiple Interpretations Jan van Eyck’s Arnolfini Double Portrait is a painting that has intrigued viewers and scholars for centuries. Many scholars have contemplated the identity of the two sitters as well as the symbolism related to everything else in the room. Compared to Van Eyck’s other works, the delicate and detailed paintings appear to share a common thread of painting a scene that contains many items that would make it more realistic of a setting. The scene depicted seems likely to be some sort of marriage arrangement but the exact moment within the marriage ritual seems to be indefinable without knowing the original intent of both the artist and the patron. Thus any meaning or narrative constructed for the painting will never be concrete.
Panofsky uses many descriptions of the painting from the 16th and 17th centuries to explain some of the symbols in the painting.2 The use of these sources illustrates that this painting in particular was considered intriguing soon after its completion. But the main point of these descriptions, in my interpretation, is to show how many aspects of the description and symbolism can be lost in translation. Interpretation of symbolism is open to those viewing it and it can take on different meanings based on the person and how those items were represented in their own culture. There has definitely been a paradigm shift since Van Eyck painted this portrait, so it is near impossible to discern the original meaning intended. Thus the items surrounding the couple should not be used in interpreting the action taking place in the