The religious implications of Arnolfini portrait

The religious implications of Arnolfini portrait Thesis statement Although the Arnolfini portrait is thought to be a depiction of a marriage between a couple in reality it is actually a memorial pai nting of Arnolfini’s wife Constanza, due to the artist’s use of intriguing symbolism, religious implications and the rituals and practices during that period. Subtopic 1: The marriage is used an intriguing symbolism to display the Constanza’s memorial Subtopic 2: The marriage has been used to expose religious implications during that period Subtopic 3: The marriage explores ritual and practices during that period Subtopic 1 1. Giovanni and Costanza were married in 1426, eight years later when the portrait was painted. 2. why wait eight years to have a portrait of your marriage depicted, and this shows that the wife was already dead. 3. Costanza died–possibly during childbirth–by 1433, and therefore it makes sense that she is already dead. Subtopic 2 1. Marriage is considered an important union by the religious rules and this is why it has to be honored 2. The convex mirror on the center of the rear wall, which is exquisitely decorated with miniature medallions illustrating the Crucifixion and other stories from the Passion of Christ an important aspect in Christianity. 3. The formality of the pose is also illustrated by the man's raised hand - suggesting he is taking an oath, and oaths are important structures of religion Subtopic 3 1. The woman in the portrait is not pregnant meaning that marriage was considered pure and a gateway to conceiving. 2. The man takes the woman’s left hand to show to symbolize left hand marriage, showing that marriage during this period was a union of unequals. 3. The image only has two to show that during this period witnesses were not needed for a marriage and couples could even marry themselves. Conclusion Although the Arnolfini portrait is thought to be a depiction of a marriage between a couple in reality it is actually a memorial painting of Arnolfini’s wife Constanza, due to the artist’s use of intriguing symbolism, religious implications and the rituals and practices during that period. Hagia Sophia is an important site for tourism due to its structure and preservations made in the mosques a. The information presented is important because it allows readers to understand the depiction of marriage in the portrait b. The information presented shows that the picture has more to what the eye meets as it explores the cultural and religious practices during that period. c. People are more likely to look at the portrait differently with this information. d. The historical impact of the portrait is to educate people on cultural practices of people in this period of time. Show Less