Review of Jan van Eyck alla conquista della rosa: Il Matrimonio "Arnolfini" della National Gallery di Londra: soluzione di un enigma by Marco Paoli

This article reviews Marco Paoli’s revisionist monograph, Jan van Eyck alla conquista della rosa: Il Matrimonio "Arnolfini" della National Gallery di Londra: soluzione di un enigma (2010). Paoli challenges the long-standing art historical consensus regarding the identity of the sitters in Jan van Eyck’s 1434 masterpiece, arguing that the canvas is not a portrait of the Italian merchant Giovanni di Nicolao Arnolfini and his wife, but rather a hidden self-portrait of the artist alongside his spouse, Margaret van Eyck. The review evaluates Paoli’s core methodology, which relies heavily on decoding the painting's complex iconography—such as the prominent cherry tree and the famous wall signature—through the lens of medieval French courtly literature, specifically the 13th-century poem Le Roman de la Rose. While acknowledging the book’s creative iconographic analysis and high-quality illustrations, the review critically examines its lack of supporting archival or documentary evidence. It concludes that while Paoli offers a provocative addition to Early Netherlandish art scholarship, his thesis remains highly contentious, leaving the definitive meaning of the National Gallery masterpiece open to ongoing debate.