Reflections: Van Eyck and the Pre-Raphaelites

Interesting but rather niche exhibition at the National Gallery looking at the influence that the purchase and display of the Van Eyck’s Aronolfini Wedding had on the Pre-Raphaelite painters.

I liked the idea of looking at the effect of a new work of art going on show on artists and it was interesting to see archive material about its purchase and display in 1842. The Pre-Raphaelites picked up ideas from it about using everyday objects in a symbolic way, the meticulous finish of the work and the use of colour and there were some good examples of all of these. There was also good use of quotes from the artists.

However the analogies did become quite strained and extended to the use of mirrors in art. I liked the idea that the picture had been in the Spanish royal collection and Velazquez would have seen it so did it influence Las Meninas? It was also interesting to see how many convex mirrors were used in pictures of artists at home and I loved the Mark Gertler self-portrait but felt this was getting a bit far from the Pre-Raphaelites. Maybe Van Eyck and later artists might have been a better sub-title to give more range.

Closes on 2 April 2018.

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