The couple is thought to be Giovanni di Nicolao di Arnolfini, and his wife, Costanza Trenta, wealthy Italians living in Bruges, West Flanders. The unusual composition begs several questions. Does the painting celebrate the couple’s wedding or some other event? Was the bride pregnant or simply dressed in the latest fashion? And what are the mysterious figures depicted in the convex mirror? The unorthodox placement of van Eyck’s signature directly above it suggests one of the men may be the artist himself.