The Arnolfini Marriage, by Jan van Eyck
Some clothes love you, others don’t. The latter pinch and squeeze and endeavour to make you feel as uncomfortable as possible. But clothes that do like you fit perfectly and seem to envelop you in a warm embrace. One gets the feeling that the dress worn by the soon-to-be-wed Giovanna Cenami in this famous double portrait would be warm and comfortable, as well as feminine and flattering. A delight to wear, just as this painting is a delight to look at! I’m not quite sure about the vivid blue underdress; but those small splashes of blue do contribute to the overall visual effect of the painting, which is no doubt why van Eyck painted them. Three of my favourite colours - red, green and blue - are beautifully combined in this masterpiece.
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