The Arnolfini Portrait (detail) Jan van Eyck (1385/90-1441)

This detailed section of The Arnolfini Portrait presents several symbolic elements. At the top, elaborate cursive script is inscribed on the wall, which reads Johannes de eyck fuit hic 1438 (Jan van Eyck was here 1438). This inscription serves as a signature and a testament to the artists presence, acting as a form of legal documentation of the event depicted.
Below the inscription is a convex mirror, surrounded by a dark, cog-like frame adorned with ten small round medallions. Each medallion contains a miniature scene, believed to depict the Passion of Christ, with the Crucifixion at the very top. The mirror itself is a significant focal point, reflecting the entire scene of the room in miniature, including two figures standing in the doorway that are not otherwise visible in the main painting. The artist also included himself within this reflection, as indicated by the figures of two men entering the room. The mirrors frame, with its circular depictions of Christs Passion, reinforces the religious undercurrents of the painting, potentially alluding to salvation and divine observation of the earthly events.
To the left of the mirror, a string of amber beads with green tassels hangs down. These beads are often interpreted as symbols of purity and devotion, further adding to the layering of meaning within the composition. The overall arrangement of these objects – the signature, the detailed mirror, and the rosary – points towards a work rich in symbolism, likely conveying messages about faith, witness, and perhaps the sanctity of marriage or domestic life.