Self-Portrait

Albrecht Dürer

Self-portrait

1500

oil on panel

Length: 49 cm. Height: 67 cm.

Alte Pinakotheck, Munich, Germany

One piece of artwork that gained a sort of puzzled attention when it was created has continued to perplex art historians today. The last of Albrecht Durer’s three self-portraits, Self-Portrait, is one of his most well known pieces. A big part of this acknowledgement comes from Durer’s atypical portrayal of himself. Rather than use the profile or three-quarters view, Durer painted himself in a full-frontal pose. It has a clear confrontational intent, featuring eye contact with the viewer. However, the most controversial characteristics of this portrait revolve around whether his depiction of himself as innocent in an attempt to be an imitation of Christ or whether he was attempting to actually portray himself as God.

The frontal pose mentioned earlier was something that was typically used to portray Christ, not other figures. Another sign is the way his hands are positioned over the middle of his chest. This could be in correlation with the way Jesus would offer his blessing. Finally, the inscription that translates “I, Albrecht Durer of Nuremberg portrayed myself in everlasting colours ages twenty-eight years” clearly alludes to some sort of higher status. While many of the signs point towards Durer portraying himself as Christ or God, critics still say Self-Portrait is a statement less about Durer’s person than about his art. The signature can be taken to mean that the image is both by and of Durer and nothing more. 

The Arnolfini Wedding

Jan van Eyck

The Arnolfini Wedding

1434

oil on panel

Length: 59.5 cm. Height: 82 cm.

National Gallery, London, England

Jan van Eyck is an artist that is internationally famous for his unique use of oil paints during the Northern Renaissance. One of his most well known pieces, now located at the National Gallery in London, is the Arnolfini Marriage. There is a great debate revolving around the subjects in this painting, as well as the context in which the painting was made.

Marriage is one of the biggest controversies surrounding the piece. There are a lot of symbols that point in contradicting directions as to the figures’ status. Art historians are not sure whether the figures are depicted as already married and the painting is supposed to represent a legal document of the ceremony. Some evidence supporting that theory is their hand gestures and the way Arnolfini's right hand raised in a sort of oath to his future wife. Another theory is that they are already married. However, the majority of marriage portraits depict the bride with her hair down to resemble the Virgin Mary. Married women show their piety through wearing their hair hidden under a veil. They also shave their forehead as a beauty ideal. 

An additional suggestion is that it may be a memorial portrait, in the sense that she has already passed away - most likely in childbirth. Symbolic details supporting that theory are the images present of St. Margaret, the patron saint of pregnant women. The scenes of the Passion are also depicted around the mirror between the figures, with the more fatal scenes on the side of the wife. The candle in the chandelier is also on lit on the side of Arnolifini to represent his life. Another clue, which appears in many paintings from the Northern Renaissance, is the oranges placed on the windowsill that represent the death brought into the world from the Garden of Eden. Finally, is the way that the husband is dressed in contrast to his wife. He is wearing black, which is still known to be a color of mourning.

In addition to the controversies regarding the status of the couple is the question of whether the woman depicted is pregnant or not. Pregnancy is often seen as the key to the paintings meaning. It appears as if she may be, however, some believe her dress is cut that way as a style of the times rather than an intended suggestion of pregnancy. Pregnancy, in that time, was both celebrated and feared. Death during childbirth was much more common making the suggestion of a portrait to record the pregnancy more likely. 

Outside of actually looking as if she is carrying a child, some other symbols are present in the painting that suggest the same idea, such as the carpet and bed depicted behind her. Carpet not covering the whole floor negates the idea of nobility but supports a chamber for labor as the carpet is under the bed. 

Finally is the controversy surrounding the mirror behind the figures. It is unsure whether the figures depicted in the mirror, past Arnolfini and his wife, are supposed to be spectators or witnesses to the marriage, Jan van Eyck himself, or if they are supposed to represent a reflection of the viewer. 

The Ambassadors

Hans Holbein the Younger

The Ambassadors

1533

oil on oak

Length: 209.5 cm. Height: 207 cm.

National Gallery, London, England

As for iconography, the debate focuses mainly on the seemingly disguised skull in the painting. One suggestion is that he could have just been trying to showcase his skills for future commissions. There is also the idea of the painting having a more religious meaning to it in that it represents heaven, the living world, and death through specific symbolism. The hymnal represented heaven, while the other books and instruments implied a living world. Holbein could have also meant the skull, as well as the crucifix in the corner, to be a reminder of death, which was common for Northern Renaissance art.

The skull’s purpose as a memento mori and its position between the men leads to the question of its relevance to the figures and who the figures actually are. This was of great controversy before the book Holbein’s Ambassadors: The Picture and the Men was published. Symbols discovered in the painting as well as other manuscripts found lead to the discovery of the identity of the figures as Jean de Dinteville and Georges de Selve. One of these symbols is the globe that is labeled with Dinteville’s home. For a painting that at first glance would seem as if it were simply a portrait, it created a great amount of controversy. 

Return of the Herd

Pieter Bruegel the Elder

Return of the Herd

1565

oil on panel

Length: 159 cm. Height: 117 cm.

Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, Austria

Return of the Herd is a topic of debate in the sense that it could be depicting the natural world or human nature as well as being both documentary and symbolic. As a depiction of human nature as well as a sense of document, it shows the actual process of moving cattle to a new location. It can also be seen as documentary in that it depicts a certain calendar month. The calendar month depicted is controversial as well. A grape harvest can be seen on one of the slopes, indicating it actually be the month of October, rather than November which is usually associated with this painting.

 However, the landscape and atmosphere of the painting cannot be overlooked. The emphasis on this aspect over the actual labors of the figures supports the idea that it is a symbolic painting. The natural world is shown in not only the rough terrain and winding river that the workers endured, but in the contrasting sky as well. The changing weather can be said to have a connection with the inevitable change of the figures being depicted.

The Garden of Earthly Delights

Hieronymous Bosch

The Garden of Earthly Delights

1480-1505

oil on panel

Length: 390 cm. Height: 220 cm.

Prado Museum, Madrid, Spain

The left panel of this painting is clearly a paradise, while the right panel depicts torture and other hellish characteristics. It is the center panel of The Garden of Earthly Delights that is a topic of very contradicting interpretations. It depicts both male and female nudes, animals, and plants. The controversy stemming from that observation is that the depictions are not solely realistic nor are they exclusively fantastical. The actions of the figures are not innocent but it is debated whether they are portraying corruption or a joyous world. The male figures are basically unaware of the female figures and vice versa.

The question of whether it is a failure on God’s part to control the figures is also raised. The other option being that it is a paradise of mortal construction. There are apples is multiple places of the center panel, indicating the paintings association with Eve and the fall of humanity. However, an important argument against that idea is the lack of a serpent or devil. This supports the suggestion that Bosch’s painting could be depicting the result of no fall of humanity, as if Eve had never been tempted and they had never been banished from the Garden of Eden. That opens the possibility of the right panel being a depiction of the real world rather than hell.