About
Bought in 1842, Jan van Eyck’s 'The Arnolfini Portrait' joined our Collection at a time of expanding Victorian horizons, both inside and outside the Gallery. From the picture’s first display in 1843 (just as Nelson’s Column was under construction in Trafalgar Square, where the Gallery had recently moved into its palatial new building in 1838) the painting gripped Victorian audiences with its intriguing subject matter. Who were the figures? What was taking place between them? Interpretations reflected Victorian concerns about marriage and pregnancy, prefiguring modern theories about the painting as we understand it today.
In this session, we will learn how generations of art historians have thought to solve the riddle of 'The Arnolfini Portrait' over time, just as scores of viewers have stood before it throughout the Gallery’s 200-year history.
Your tutor
Dr Jenny Graham is an Associate Professor in Art History at the University of Plymouth, and the author of 'Inventing Van Eyck: The Remaking of an Artist for the Modern Age' (Oxford and New York, 2007). Jenny has written and lectured widely on Van Eyck ever since, including an article on the Van Eyck Ghent Altarpiece for The International Journal of Cultural Property (Cambridge University Press) in 2022.
Watch again
Can't make Monday afternoon but don't want to miss out? No problem, you can watch again.
This session will be recorded and will be uploaded and available for you to watch via your National Gallery account on Wednesday. It will be available to view for one week.
Format
The session lasts for 2 hours and includes a lecture delivered by the course lecturer followed by a short break and further discussion.
Time will be allowed for questions and discussion via Q&A.
Course handouts will be available via your National Gallery the day before the session.
The Arnolfini Portrait: Story of an icon
Tickets
This event is open for Members priority booking until Friday, 16 August 2024. Members please sign in to book.
Standard: £15
Concessions: £14
Please book a ticket to access the event. You will receive an E-ticket with instructions on how to access your online events, films and resources via your National Gallery account.
Please note, only one ticket can be booked per account. Bookings close ten minutes before the event.
Concessions are for full-time students, jobseekers, and disabled adults.