New Additions

New additions to The John Macdonald Gallery are showcased here before moving into a portfolio.

The Arnolfini Portrain by Jan Van Eyck

I'm so excited to have received this delivery from Avignon, France today. A quiet room, a solemn gesture, and a mirror that sees more than the eye—Jan van Eyck’s Arnolfini Portrait captures a moment suspended in time. Thought to depict the Italian merchant Giovanni di Nicolao Arnolfini and his wife in their Bruges home, this double portrait is both a celebration of union and a showcase of wealth, fidelity, and domestic life. But it’s the mirror that drew me in. Hung between the couple, it reflects not just their backs but the entire room—replicating the scene in miniature, with astonishing precision. Two additional figures appear, one possibly the artist himself, suggesting presence, witness, and layered meaning. For the 1400s, this was nothing short of ingenious: a technical marvel and a conceptual leap that still feels modern. The original hangs in The National Gallery, London, where its quiet brilliance continues to captivate.