Renaissance and Baroque art are distinct time periods and artists in their respective eras created artwork that differed from the other period. Consequently, art produced in separate time frames are likely to vary from one another. Upon first glance, Jan Van Eyck’s Arnolfini Double Portrait made in 1434 and Diego Velazquez’s Las Meninas made in 1656 do not look similar. Although the two paintings have more than two centuries between them, Velazquez makes many references to Van Eyck’s painting and therefore creates a relationship between the two. This relationship is visible when directly comparing the two works of art side by side and similarities begin to emerge. Arnolfini Double Portrait and Las Meninas share many characteristics including foreground composition, mirror reflections, and background references that can be seen after careful analysis despite the initial difference in time, location, and influence of the two artists. With two centuries separating Jan Van Eyck and Diego Velazquez, the primary differences between the two artists are time, location, and influence of their own specific lives. Arnolfini Double Portrait was painted during the middle of the Renaissance when naturalism was highly favored in art. In this naturalistic view, van Eyck painted what he saw in a lifelike manner; his subjects are brightly colored, physiologically accurate, and their faces are detailed with shadow, which depict structure. All these characteristics paved the way for future naturalism and eventually the evolution of Baroque art was born. Van Eyck was located in the Netherlands, which gave him a different perspective on painting than Velazquez had in Spain. Velazquez painted during the Baroque era of art; his painting is more expressive than Van Eyck’s and has muted colors that depicted the royal Spanish Court. Wealthy and religious patrons commonly commissioned van Eyck for portraits while Velazquez regularly painted daily, typical life. Although many would not call artwork with the royal court ‘typical,’ Velazquez produced an image of normalcy for that particular social group. Also, despite that both subjects in the two paintings are wealthy, the audience can easily discern which is from the more recent time period by clothing and hairstyle. Van Eyck’s subjects are stiff in posture and clearly posed, a characteristic of the Renaissance whereas the royal court’s posture in Las Meninas is at ease and almost seems as if the audience stumbled into the room on accident and saw this image. The immediate differences between the two paintings can be seen quite quickly and may seem large, but are in actuality smaller than they appear to be. Despite the primary differences like time and influences the two artists held, the paintings are more similar than contrasting because they have a relationship visible when they are viewed together. The foreground holds a different amount of individuals, but both of the paintings’ subjects are facing forward as if acknowledging the viewer’s presence. This affects the viewers with a sense of importance and involvement with the subjects. Based on the composition in Arnolfini Double Portrait, the couple’s rigid posture indicates a formality, and the audience experiences the role of a close friend, an intimate witness to the marriage. The portrait takes place in the woman’s bedroom, which further indicates the level of familiarity the audience feels with the couple. Likewise, Velazquez also creates a sense of intimacy between his subjects and the audience. There are more individuals in the painting, but they are also caught in a private moment: a royal portrait. The subjects have varied positions compared to Arnolfini Double Portrait; Velazquez stands in the left corner holding a paintbrush, the daughter of King Philip IV of Spain stands in the center of the painting, and her ladies-in-waiting surround her. Velazquez appears to be peering into the audience as if he were painting them, but upon closer inspection, the audience is able to discern the King and Queen in the reflection in the mirror against the back wall. This is only discovered after close observation, and is one of the small similarities that are actually of great importance.
One of the features that shows up in both van Eyck’s and Velazquez’s paintings is the mirror. Starting in the late sixteenth century, academies were founded as a school for artists. In these academies that trained artists towards an intellectual career, Sir Joshua Reynolds, the president of the Royal Academy of Arts, said in his discourses, “When we have had continually before us the great works of Art to impregnate our minds with kindred ideas, we are then, and not till then, fit to produce something of the same species.” This shows that Velazquez referenced Arnolfini Double Portrait for Las Meninas in order to produce artwork equal to that of van Eyck. The amount of years separating the artists did not matter, Reynolds also said that it was important to view past great artists, imitate them, and then add new material to it, making it even greater. The mirror casts an important role in both of the paintings; in Arnolfini Double Portrait, van Eyck and the couple’s witnesses to their marriage are visible in the mirror’s reflection. This effect makes it so that the audience is directly facing the subjects and appear to be looking at themselves in the mirror. The mirror’s reflection in Las Meninas, however, reveals Velazquez’s actual subjects, the King and Queen of Spain. Las Meninas puts the audience in the royal couple’s shoes and is able to see their view, which is of Velazquez painting. However, the audience does not associate themself with being royalty; the mind thinks to work around this and conclude a mastery perspective. Velazquez reverses van Eyck’s mirror effect and exaggerates it, making the perspective even more remarkable and suitable to the Baroque period. The mirrors should not be ignored when comparing the two paintings, for they are near the center of composition and play a significant aspect in subject matter and perspective.
In addition to details in the foreground, the backgrounds of the two paintings are significant to the overall understanding. Van Eyck commonly painted religious references, and Arnolfini Double Portrait was no exception; the perimeter of the mirror has ten images of Christ being crucified. This depiction is not his original artwork but a reference to earlier artists and van Eyck applied it to his painting. This is supported by Reynolds when he said, “I can recommend nothing better therefore, than that you endeavour to infuse into your works what you learn from the contemplation of the works of others.” Velazquez also alludes knowledge of Reynolds’ disclosure by adding large paintings in the background of his portrait. Unlike van Eyck, Velazquez does not make it clear which artist or time period he is referring to. The paintings on the back wall are smoky, dark, and unrecognizable. The only knowledge is limited to the fact that they are not paintings by Velazquez. Both men added pieces of art from different artists and possibly various time periods so that they “consider them as models which you are to imitate, and at the same time as rivals with whom you are to contend,” according to Reynolds.
More similarities than differences are evident between Arnolfini Double Portrait and Las Meninas. These similarities include background allusions, mirror reflections, and foreground composition of the subjects in the paintings. They overshadowed the time gap of two centuries, variations in style techniques, and art period influences of the two artists. Because Velazquez was taught to imitate and learn from earlier great works, his references from van Eyck’s artwork made his painting that much better and able to compete with van Eyck despite the time and origin difference. Although the two paintings do not resemble each other at first glance, the audience is able to pick out many similarities to see the relationship they possess. The Baroque period of art had its own characteristics during its time, but would not have become what it was without the Renaissance’s influence.