▁were ▁painted ▁to ▁increase ▁the ▁probability ▁that ▁one ▁would ▁make ▁it ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁Netherlands ) ▁faithful ▁representations ▁of ▁her ▁li ken ess ▁for ▁the ▁du ke ▁to ▁evaluate . ▁ ▁Because ▁Portugal ▁was ▁r idden ▁with ▁pl ague , ▁their ▁court ▁was ▁it iner ant ▁and ▁the ▁Dutch ▁party ▁met ▁them ▁at ▁the ▁out ▁of ▁way ▁castle ▁of ▁Av iz . ▁Van ▁E y ck ▁spent ▁nine ▁months ▁there , ▁returning ▁successfully ▁to ▁the ▁Netherlands ▁with ▁Isabel la ▁as ▁a ▁b ride ▁to ▁be ; ▁the ▁couple ▁married ▁on ▁Christmas ▁Day ▁of ▁ 1 4 2 9 . ▁ ▁The ▁portrait ▁was ▁executed ▁around ▁the ▁time ▁the ▁pre lim inary ▁marriage ▁agreement ▁was ▁drawn ▁up , ▁to ▁be ▁sent ▁concurrent ly ▁to ▁Philip , ▁with ▁the ▁document ▁of ▁agreement . ▁In ▁this ▁it ▁was ▁intended ▁as ▁e y ew it ness ▁testim ony ▁to ▁the ▁" person ▁of ▁the ▁prin cess ", ▁providing ▁independent ▁ver ification ▁of ▁her ▁identity ▁when ▁she ▁would ▁later ▁travel led ▁to ▁Philip ▁in ▁Burg und y . ▁ ▁Description ▁ ▁Port rait ▁of ▁Isabel la ▁of ▁Portugal ▁is ▁especially ▁notable ▁for ▁the ▁forward ▁way ▁in ▁which ▁she ▁places ▁her ▁hand ▁over ▁the ▁f aux ▁stone ▁par ap et . ▁With ▁this ▁gesture ▁Isabel la ▁extends ▁her ▁presence ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁p ict orial ▁space ▁and ▁into ▁that ▁of ▁the ▁vie wer . ▁This ▁ill usion istic ▁mot if ▁was ▁later ▁developed ▁in ▁his ▁London ▁Lé al ▁Sou venir , ▁where ▁the ▁subject ' s ▁arm ▁rest s