The Wedding: An Encounter with Jan Van Eyck (Art Encounters) - Hardcover

Elizabeth M. Rees

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0823004074 ISBN 13: 9780823004072

Publisher: Watson-Guptill, 2005

Synopsis

Is the bride pregnant? Why does the groom look so old? What's reflected in the mirror? The Arnolfini Wedding is surely the most hotly debated painting of the Northern Renaissance—and one of the most beloved. In this historical novel, E. M. Rees weaves a rich story of love and honor that answers the questions about this great picture. At her first visit to the Duke's court, young Giovanna Cenami falls in love with a mysterious stranger employed by the famous Flemish painter Jan van Eyck. But Giovanna's romantic dreams are shattered when her father tells her she must marry a rich merchant to save them all from financial ruin. When she decides to pursue her own dreams, defying her family, she finds herself in grave danger of losing her reputation, her honor—and perhaps her life.




• The Arnolfini Wedding is one of the most famous and most debated paintings in the world


• Ties in to art curriculum and world history studies

About this title

About the Author

E. M. Rees has published more than 50 books for middle graders and young adults. Her series include Dragonfire (under the pseudonym Morgana Rhys), Satin Slippers (under the pseudonym Elizabeth Barnard), and Heart Beats. A painter and visual artist, she teaches oil and acrylic painting at the Craft Students League in New York City, where she lives.

Reviews

Grade 8 Up–A novel set around Jan Van Eyck's famous painting titled The Arnolfini Portrait. While little is known about the painter, historians have confirmed that he did work for the court and may have had some clandestine duties associated with his position. In this story, set in mid-15th-century Bruges, Giovanna Cenami, 14, has recently lost her mother, and circumstances have forced her to assume a more mature, womanly position in her family. She attends a social soiree with her father where she sees a mysterious troubadour with an angelic voice and falls in love. Unfortunately, her father is in jeopardy of financial ruin, and he decides to move up her eventual betrothal to a wealthy, but older, family friend, Giovanni Arnolfini. Pressures from her father, secret notes passed through her maid from the stranger, and growing knowledge of the dealings of her father's business converge to throw Giovanna in a Romeo and Juliet-esque drama with a vicious twist. Rees creatively explores how these two characters in the painting could have been connected, and why they would have been painted by Van Eyck, but the story itself does not stand on its own. Giovanna's character is not explored completely, leaving readers wondering why she makes certain decisions. For students immensely interested in art and romance, this could work, but it's not a necessary purchase.–Delia Fritz, Sunset Ridge Middle School, West Jordan, UT
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Gr. 8-11. Like other titles in the Art Encounters series, this novel imagines the story behind a famous painting. Here, the inspiration is Jan van Eyck's The Arnolfini Portrait. In fifteenth-century Bruges, 14-year-old Giovanna attends her first lavish court party, where she is given a tour by an older family friend; meets the painter van Eyck; and, most thrillingly, spies a young troubadour named Angelo. Her all-consuming crush on Angelo grows with several chance encounters, even as her father begins to arrange her marriage to secure his threatened finances. Rees tells a fascinating, gripping tale that echoes Romeo and Juliet in its family feuds and ferociously determined young lovers. Appended sections offer background on the many historical references, and Rees' clear grasp of the complex political and social history adds rich layers to the romance and coming-of-age plotlines. Teens with a taste for costume dramas will be fascinated by Giovanna's difficult choices and uncertain loyalties, while the well-defined scenes in van Eyck's studio will interest teen artists. Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Watson-Guptill
• Publication date: 2005
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0823004074
• ISBN 13: 9780823004072
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 226