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A Most Mysterious Marriage - XA001/AIP/03In 1434 a wealthy Renaissance merchant commissioned a portrait of his wife. 'The Arnolfini Marriage' is one of the most famous paintings of all time, but a new discovery has thrown the art world into confusion. Infra red lights revealed that the painting's symbolic objects, long believed to be the key to understanding this picture's meanings, were in fact added later.
As well as investigating the physical history of the picture, 'A Most Mysterious Marriage' presents portraits of the lives of the painter of 'The Arnolfini Marriage' – Jan Van Eyck – and of the unknown man in the portrait, Giovanni Arnolfini.
The repercussions of these discoveries are immense, leading historians to question accepted views of marriage and society; of fame and fortune; and of trade and travel.
There are three programmes in the 'Renaissance Secrets' series. Please see 'The Riddle of the Dome' (XA001/AIP/01) and 'The Winter Garden' (XA001/AIP/02).
The series won a Broadcast Award at the annual Educational Television & Media Association dinner in 2000, triumphing in the 'non-compulsory audience' category.
Publication Year: 1999
Length: 30mins
ISBN: 9780749233372