Masaccio and Jan van Eyck

Hello, I'm Krista Swenson. And I'm Lacey Katabi. Today, we are talking about two paintings. The first is the Holy Trinity from 1427, painted by none other than Masaccio. This painting shows Christ's sacrifice and represents the Holy Trinity of God the Son, displayed on the cross, God the Father, right above Christ, and God the Holy Spirit, which is in the form of a dove in Where is this location again? In the Florentine Church of Santa Maria Novella? Yeah, you're right. It is actually a fresco on the wall of the church, making this painting that much more impressive. This painting would not be as magnificent without having linear perspective as its foundation. The figures seem to occupy real space. Linear perspective creates a convincing sense of depth. The Holy Trinity startled viewers as if it were actually right there in the church. Jacqueline quotes, actually, the perspective in this painting is sufficiently accurate to be convincing, but purposely inact enough to make space for the supernatural. Because this artwork consists of two scenes, perhaps, the way in which the viewer is able to tie the two together is strategically placed in the vanishing point. But what is exactly the vanishing point? The vanishing point is actually the point at which the receding parallel lines viewed in linear perspective come together. This is a point which something that has been growing smaller or increasingly faint disappears. The vanishing point is at the center of the masonry altar. Joseph Pulzer's book, The Anatomy of Messaggia's Holy Trinity, describes this. I do believe that this is one of the first in linear perspective, which makes the piece so remarkable. This piece introduced naturalism, which initiated the Renaissance painting style. It is remarkable for the way it depicts the material world with deep spiritual significance. It is both the most rational and the most mysterious of images, was said from the Wall Street Journal. Speaking of how this art is so sacred, we could look more closely to Mary. She is clearly seen from below and in three-quarters view, which gives her a greater physical presence than the other figures. This is a great representation of linear perspective, making the other figures seen with less dimension. Now let's move to our next painting. This painting has several names. The most famous of these is the Arnolfini Marriage. It was painted by John van Eyck in the year 1434. So this painting is found in the National Gallery in London, and it is a double portrait of a couple. But how are we so sure about the date? It is rather odd, but the date is written above a mirror on the back of the wall of the room in the painting. The letters and the mirror are larger than they appear. We know this because they do not have, they didn't have that large of a mirror during this time. The mirror includes the couple in its reflection, but behind there are seen two other figures. One figure is thought to be John van Eyck, even though it does not even look like he's painting anything. The frame includes scenes from the crucifixion, maybe seen as God looking in on the vows of the marriage. But who are these people? Well we know that they are, that it is a member of the Arnolfini Marriage. The figures are widely thought to be Giovanni di Nicola Arnolfini and his wife Jean Sinami, because he was the most popular in his family. But found in an article in the Name of God and Prophet, John van Eyck's Arnolfini portrait, Margaret Carroll, it shows skepticism that it might be Giovanni's brother Michelle and his wife Elizabeth. But no matter what, this couple is clearly seen to be rich or of merchant status. There are hints of their wealth based on their fine clothes, the carving of the furniture, and also the symbolism of oranges represent wealth. Actually, a lot of symbolism is shown in this piece of art. In Edwin Hall's book, The Arnolfini Trogle, Medieval Marriage and the Enigma of Van Eyck's Double Portrait, he speaks of a lot of symbolism. The cherries on the table represent love, the green in the woman's dress represents hope, the little dog on the bottom represents loyalty. Even the stance of the two couples is symbolic. There are a few signs of the wife's submission. First, the placement of their hands. The man has his hands vertically, symbolizing authority. The man is looking out at us. The wife is looking at her husband reiterating submission, but not looking at the ground, showing also that he's not superior. Also, the husband is near the window, showing his role as supporting his family by working outside. The woman is near the bed and farther from the window. This symbolizes her role in the marriage for taking care of her family. The main role for women is to have children. At first glance, the woman is thought to be pregnant, but there is no known documentation of the couple, Giovanni di Nicola Arnolfini, and his wife, Jean Sinami, having children. So it is debatable if it was a miscarriage, infant death, or simply the dress. Brambelles were fashion at the time, so the dress often altered a woman's stomach.