This is not however an exact view of one of Arnolfini's rooms - the mirror behind the couple shows in its reflection a doorway where the viewer is, so there's no room for a fireplace (a vital necessity).
Instead, this is a carefully constructed interior which stages the sitters' self-image for the world to see.
Why then do you think Arnolfini's muddy pattens, his outdoor shoes, have been left so prominently at the front of the portrait?
More Paintings to explore:
- Vermeer, 'A Young Woman Standing at a Virginal', about 1670
- Hogarth, 'Marriage A-la-Mode: 1. The Marriage Settlement', about 1743
- Degas, 'Hélène Rouart in her Father's Study', about 1886
