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Video: Secrets from the Looking Glass: What secrets did the artists encrypt with the help of mirrors depicted in famous paintings
2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55
Painting masterpieces of the 15th-16th centuries is especially interesting to consider, because they hide many mysteries. Mirrors are considered one of them. At first glance, there is nothing remarkable about them, but if you look closely, you can find many interesting details. What the artists of the past hid in mirror reflections, we will consider further in the review.
Portrait of the Arnolfini couple
Perhaps the most famous mirror in the painting is the one portrayed by Jan van Eyck in his "Portrait of the Arnolfini Couple". In the 15th century, this piece of furniture was quite rare. Its presence in the room indicates the high social status of the owner. But here it is not the belonging of the mirror that attracts more, but those who are reflected in it.
It is believed that the man in the blue turban is the artist himself. Moreover, above the mirror there is an inscription “Johannes de eyck fuit hic 1434”, which means “Jan van Eyck was here”. READ MORE …
Saint Eligius in his workshop
Some believe that the painter Petrus Christus copied Van Eyck's technique in his painting Saint Eligius in His Studio. Saint Eligius was considered the patron saint of jewelers. According to the plot, an engaged young couple comes to him to order rings. And on the side of the master there is a mirror with the reflection of two people. Art critics did not come to a consensus on who could be depicted in the mirror, but one thing is clear - artists often begin to resort to the technique with mirrors in their work.
Changed with my wife
Quentin Massein's painting "The Money Changer with Wife" reveals very curious details. In fact, the plot is rather trivial: the money changer weighs some product on the scales, and the wife controls the process. Everything would be fine, but only the figure of a person can be seen in the mirror reflection. The man has a rather mournful expression on his face, clearly saying that he did not come to the money changer from a good life.
Meninas
The famous painting by Diego Velazquez "Meninas" also has a mirror reflecting the Spanish king Philip IV and Marianne of Austria. The painter arranged the composition as if the Infanta Margarita and the courtiers were standing in front of Their Majesties.
The mirror is not the only secret of the painting "Menina". 14 little-known facts about Velazquez's masterpiece will lift the veil of secrecy over this beautiful canvas.
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