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Presentation Type
Presentation
Full Name of Faculty Mentor
Aneilya Barnes, History, and Stephanie Miller, Visual Arts
Major
Art Studio
Second Major
Graphic Design
Presentation Abstract
Mirrors in paintings have many connotations. Mirrors can extend the pictorial space, reveal hidden imagery, represent social and cultural value, or function symbolically. This project focuses on the convex mirror in Jan van Eyck's The Arnolfini Portrait (1434) and considers its influence on Diego Velázquez's Las Meninas (1656). Van Eyck places the mirror centrally in the composition, showing his reflection below the unusual display of a signature on the wall and inviting interpretation and comparison between the portrait and mirror. Over two centuries later, van Eyck's innovations, including the mirror motif, inspired Velázquez's inclusion of a central mirror next to a self-portrait. This research examines the significance of mirrors in van Eyck's and Velázquez's portraits, situating them within the context of other paintings with mirrors created between 1434 and 1656, to help determine their broader appeal.
Location
Virtual Session Room 2
Start Date
21-4-2021 4:10 PM
End Date
21-4-2021 4:30 PM
Recommended Citation
Smith, Jenna, "Reflections on van Eyck: The Meaning of Mirrors in Portraiture" (2021). Undergraduate Research Competition. 10.
https://digitalcommons.coastal.edu/ugrc/2021/fullconference/10
Reflections on van Eyck: The Meaning of Mirrors in Portraiture
Virtual Session Room 2
Mirrors in paintings have many connotations. Mirrors can extend the pictorial space, reveal hidden imagery, represent social and cultural value, or function symbolically. This project focuses on the convex mirror in Jan van Eyck's The Arnolfini Portrait (1434) and considers its influence on Diego Velázquez's Las Meninas (1656). Van Eyck places the mirror centrally in the composition, showing his reflection below the unusual display of a signature on the wall and inviting interpretation and comparison between the portrait and mirror. Over two centuries later, van Eyck's innovations, including the mirror motif, inspired Velázquez's inclusion of a central mirror next to a self-portrait. This research examines the significance of mirrors in van Eyck's and Velázquez's portraits, situating them within the context of other paintings with mirrors created between 1434 and 1656, to help determine their broader appeal.