This is Arnolfini and his wife painted by Jan van Eyek, cool because they were painted in the early renaissance when it was still basically only the church that commissioned artwork. Yeah, they had themselves painted before it was cool; the rest of you are just sheeple following the trend. In any event there are some really cool little insets that you can see if you have a really high resolution version of the painting (or are looking at the original in The National Gallery), so for now you'll have to trust me on their existence. For example the mirror in the back. Not only is it a symbol of wealth but it also shows a perfect reflection of the characters we can see as well as the reflection of the painter and another man which really brings the viewer into the painting. Just above that is the signature of the artist and some somewhat undetermined Latin. It either says "Jan van Eyek was this man/one" or "Jan van Eyek was here" and it's really interesting to discuss the implications of both. For a while art historians thought the work was a kind of self portrait, but now the popular opinion is swinging more toward the idea that the painter signed his work in the manner of bathroom wall graffiti.
But of course I would be remiss if I were to exclude the fun with symbolism portion of art analysis. Let's start from the top. If you look closely at the chandelier you can see one lit candle. It's clear that from a lighting perspective this room does not need any help; light floods through the window on the left. If you look at the chandelier itself, it is a symbol of their wealth. But there's more. Some art historians have interpreted the single lit candle as signifying the presence of God (when I had to interpret it on the spot I suggested that it represented the Advent, which in retrospect is a bit of a stretch) meaning that God has approved of and blessed this event (what that event actually is I'll get to later). The placement of the figures is also telling. The woman, on the right, is closer to the bed and a broom, associating her with domestic duties. The man, on the left, is closer to the window and his patten clogs (those crazy shoes in the bottom left would have gone on over his indoor shoes called poulaines whose tips were often so long they had to be held up by strings) indicating that he is a man of the world and has been outside. Finally the little dog: adorable and a symbol of loyalty! It's placement between the two figures indicates that there is loyalty between the man and wife.
So what's going on in this painting? For a while this was referred to as the "Arnolfini Wedding", indicating the idea that these two were in the process of getting married. Now popular opinion is swinging away from that idea. After all, why would they be getting married in a bedroom? The most current idea is that this painting portrays Arnolfini granting his wife power of attorney. Exciting, I know.
The second painting is a little closer to home (it's located in the Met) and is entitled Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier and His Wife. As the title indicates, the painting depicts Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier (1743–1794) and His Wife (Marie-Anne-Pierrette Paulze, 1758–1836). Lavoisier is known as the founder of modern chemistry, not only is this a gorgeous painting but seriously significant to the history of science. He is depicted here looking scientific in a room that is clearly not a lab. It has been hypothesised that he is depicted penning one of his many scientific treatises, which is supported by the presence of his wife and his wife's folio on the right (she illustrated many of his publications). This portrait, like Arnolfini up there, is a rarity for its time. It was still uncommon for private citizens in France to commission full length portraits like this one; it was usually only royalty who commissioned such works. Unfortunately, Lavoisier met an untimely demise at the guillotine during the French Revolution because he was a tax collector as well as a scientist and therefore a royalist. This fact makes the painting all the more interesting to me. Because, you see, David, the painter is very well known for this work:
His depiction of the Tennis Court Oath which created the French National Assembly after the members of the French Parliament of the Third Estate were locked out of the main Parliamentary room. David was named a deputy of the National Convention in 1792. So the same artist that painted the turning point in the French Revolution also painted one of the more famous royalists of the period.
Doesn't art make you feel smart!
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