Unit:
Κατεύθυνση Ιστορία της Νεότερης ΤέχνηςLibrary of the School of Philosophy
Author:
Patsaki Maria-Galini
Supervisors info:
Δημήτρης Παυλόπουλος, Αναπληρωτής Καθηγητής Ιστορίας της Τέχνης, Τμήμα Ιστορίας και Αρχαιολογίας, ΕΚΠΑ
Ευθυμία Μαυρομιχάλη, Επίκουρη Καθηγήτρια Ιστορίας της Τέχνης, Τμήμα Ιστορίας και Αρχαιολογίας, ΕΚΠΑ
Κωνσταντίνος Ράπτης, Αναπληρωτής Καθηγητής Νεότερης Ιστορίας, Τμήμα Ιστορίας και Αρχαιολογίας, ΕΚΠΑ
Original Title:
Η πρόσληψη του Jan van Eyck (1390-1441) στην Αγγλία του 19ου αιώνα και η σχέση του με την αδελφότητα των Προραφαηλιτών
Translated title:
Jan van Eyck's (1390-1441) reception in 19th century England and his connection with the Pre-Paphaelite brotherhood
Summary:
This paper attempts to address the question of Jan van Eyck's reception in 19th century England, as well as the relationship between his art and the Pre-Raphaelite brotherhood. On the occasion of the purchase of The Arnolfini Portrait by the National Gallery of London in 1843 a particularly strong interest in the artist was triggered. At first, the first impressions that the painting brought to the audience of the time are discussed, as well as the most popular theories about its enigmatic subject-matter. Thus, a great debate began in 19th century England concerning Jan van Eyck and his position among the Old Masters and the Italian Renaissance. The two main distinctive features of Jan van Eyck's art which are debated by the art critics of the time are his realism and the minuteness of his art. A few years later, the same debate took place again in England by the same art critics, but this time not concerning to the art of Jan van Eyck but that of the newly established brotherhood of the Pre-Raphaelites. On that basis, the correlations between Jan van Eyck and the Pre-Raphaelites are presented based on the newspapers and the magazines of the time, as well as some common features that can be identified in both of their paintings. These include the use of oil colours, specifically the preference for bright, pure colours, the emphasis on the detail and the minuteness of their art and the frequent connection with the art of photography that was taking place at that time for both the Pre-Raphaelites and Jan van Eyck. The most prominent feature of Jan van Eyck's art, which was extensively discussed by scholars and art critics throughout the 19th century was his realism and several common points can be identified in the art of the Pre-Raphaelites, in particular in John Everett Millais’ painting Christ in the House of his Parents. The last common feature between Jan van Eyck and the Pre-Raphaelites is their symbolism and in particular the “disguised symbolism” an idea initially formed in the 19th century and defined later by Erwin Panofsky in the 20th. Beyond these common features what is also observed is the incorporation of individual elements by the Arnolfini Portrait particularly the convex mirror which is adapted in various ways in the paintings of the Pre-Raphaelites and their followers. There are two paintings which undoubtedly, according to all researchers, borrow the mirror from Jan van Eyck's Arnolfini Portrait, Ford Madox Brown’s "Take Your Son, Sir!" and William Holman Hunt’s The lady of Shalott. However, these are not the only cases, several works, which include either the mirror or some other element from the Arnolfini Portrait, have been identified and analysed in the text.
Main subject category:
Fine arts - Entertainment
Keywords:
Jan van Eyck, Hubert van Eyck, Arnolfini Portrait, early flemish art, Pre-Raphaelites, 19th century, England, reception, William Holman Hunt, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, John Everett Miillais, Ford Madox Brown, Edward Burne-Jones, Erwin Panofsky
Number of references:
323
