Book Description
Jan Van Eyck's Arnolfini Portrait examines one of the most celebrated European paintings from a number of perspectives. In her lucid analysis of this seminal work, Linda Seidel considers this famous double portrait as a social record, legal document, material object and poetic fiction. Each chapter of this study is characterised by a distinct approach, which is constructed to shed light on a variety of contemporary practices - marital, economic and artisanal. Through the implementation of a variety of interpretive strategies, and in consultation with different types and categories of information, this innovative book informs the viewer about the function and nature of early European painting, and invites the reader to reflect on the many ways in which works of art can be studied.
