Giovanni di Nicolao Arnolfini

Giovanni di Nicolao Arnolifini, also known as Giovanni di Nicolao or “son of Nicolao” was a 15th century Italian merchant born into a powerful merchant family in Lucca.

Around 1419 Giovanni was sent to Bruges, Flanders to represent his family’s business interests. His family was specialized in weaving of expensive cloth, and a young Arnolfini conducted trade for his family company as well as for his own account. Bruges was at the time a wealthy and prosperous trading city and one of the main towns of the Burgundian court that provided numerous business opportunities.

Arnolfini made a wealth trading in silk and other fabrics, tapestries and various precious objects and through dealings with the Burgundian and English courts. For a while his business partner was Marco Guidicconi, a wealthy and successful merchant from his native town.

In the later years, Arnolfini retired from business and became a burgess of Bruges.

He was a subject of two portraits by Jan van Eyck, one of the most significant and famous Northern Renaissance artists of the 15th century.