What others forms of symbolism have you found about the Arnolfini portrait besid

Question: What others forms of symbolism have you found about the Arnolfini portrait besides the obvious!?

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From what I have seen and read so far regarding the portrait:

Aside from the fact that it resides at the National Gallery in London, the portrait technically belongs to Spain!. It was stolen from the Spanish Royal family during the Peninsula War in Spain by a Scottish soldier!. He eventually sold it in 1842 to the National Gallery!.

The painting is full of symbolism, and there has been much controversy about what the painting represents!. Is it a wedding picture!? a family portrait!? The National Gallery lists it as the portrait of Mr!. & Mrs!. Arnolfini, and many critics think this is likely!. However, another interpretation makes more sense to me!. It might be a rememberance picture of a wife who died in childbirth a year earlier!. If you accept that premise, there are clues to back it up:

1!. Childbirth was a risky business at that time, with a very high rate of mortality for both mother and child!. Another famous artist in Bruges, Marcus Gheeraerts the younger, painted many portraits of pregnant women - most from the nobility and the very wealthy!. Families and husbands wanted a rememberance portrait of her (for the portrait gallery) in case the unthinkable happened!. Since a recently uncovered letter from Mrs!. Arnolfini's mother stated that her daughter died a year before the portrait was finished, this seems possible!. Plus, the way her hand is positioned on her stomach is how most pregnant women were portrayed in paintings!. also, if you look at the chair to the right of the mirror (over her right shoulder), on top is a carving of Saint Margaret, who is the patron saint of pregnant women - another indication she is pregnant in the painting!.

2!. If you look at the chandelier, the candle on Mr!. Arnolfini's side is burning (life!?), but the candle on Mrs!. Arnolfini's side is burned out (death!?)!. Symbolism or coincidence!?

3!. The mirror has scenes from The Passion of Christ surrounding it!. All of the scenes on Mrs!. Arnolfini's side are of a dead Christ, and those on Mr!. Arnolfini's side depict an alive Christ!. Again, symbolism or coincidence!?

4!. The fruit by the window has always been interpreted as a sign of wealth, since it was prohibitively expensive in those times!. However if you look at Jan van Eyck's "Madonnas" or "Madonna and Childs", most if not all have fruit on the window!. Is this to represent the wealth of the mother of God!? Not likely!. They are symbols, and a reminder, of the "original sin" that brought death into the world - Eve giving an apple to Adam!. It is to show how fragile and fleeting life is!.

5!. The sadness, and look of almost repressed anger on Mr!. Arnolfini's face is hardly the look of a new groom, or of a joyous family portrait!.

So, that is what I have learned about the painting!. I hope this helped, and good luck with your paper!.Www@QuestionHome@Com