Post #9 - Reading GRQ Discussion - Renaissance and Modern Art

 Guided Reading Questions: 

1. Portraiture
2. Window
3. Linear Perspective
4. Aerial Perspective
5. Masaccio
6. Brunelleschi
7. Jan
8. Leonardo
9. School of Athens
10. Birth of Venus
11. Stonebreakers
12. David
13. Modern
14. "Avant-Garde"
15. Autonomous
16. "Kitsch"

Discussion:

When talking about the Arnolfini Portrait people have mixed feelings about whether it is a wedding portrait or a memorial portrait. I believe that based on the evidence I believe it to be a memorial photo. The reason for that is mainly the color of the dress. In my research, tradition wedding dress colors at that time were pink, red, blue, brown, and black. In this portrait her dress is green which leads to the question of why,  therefore leading me to believe that it is a memorial portrait. Alongside the dress theory, I notice how her shoes on the bottom left are pointing towards the door as if she left. It could be she is standing there in spirits and not actually since it would be a memorial for her. Another thing that I think of is it could be a memorial for one of their aristocratic friends that passed away as the fruit and fabric symbolize wealth.