Posted by Susan Benford
The most famous artwork created by Hubert and Jan van Eyck (ca. 1390 - 1441) is the renowned Ghent Altarpiece, completed in 1432. This masterpiece of Renaissance paintings consists of 24 panels hinged together in a polytych; 12 art paintings are visible when the altarpiece is either fully open or closed. The best known panel - and an icon of religious paintings - is The Adoration of the Lamb.
The Adoration of the Lamb, panel from the Ghent Altarpiece. Completed 1432.
Based on a passage from the Book of Revelations read on All Saints Day (November 1), this painting shows the Lamb of God in a meadow, with the community of saints arriving from the four corners of the earth. In Christian belief, the Lamb of God was sacrificed to redeem humanity from the Original Sin of Adam and Eve. The Lamb of God's blood is captured in a chalice, while angels surrounding the altar hold the Instruments of the Passion: the column upon which Christ was flogged; the cross and nails from his Crucifixion; the lance which pierced him; and the sponge used to moisten his lips when he hung on the cross.
The two groups approaching the Altar in the background are the holy confessors, bishops and
cardinals (identifiable by their red, flat hats, above), and the holy Virgins (below). They carry palms to symbolize the triumph of martyrdom over death.
In the left foreground (below) are representatives from the Old Testament and various well-known
pagans, including the Roman poet, Virgil; he is in the center wearing a white robe and laurel crown. The group in the right foreground (below) includes the Twelve Apostles, shown in front.
The sheer dazzle and brilliance of this famous painting are impossible to reproduce (and nearly as challenging to describe). The late Thomas Hoving, author of "Greatest Works of Art of Western Civilization",commented
The painting is renowned for how every detail is brilliantly rendered. The realism of this work is literally breathtaking and there is simply no other work in existence that can come near to the intense concentration of the utter reality of everything in the picture, but especially of the details. Everything... seems to have been (and perhaps was) painted with a single-hair brush.
If you're lucky enough to be in Belgium.. get this famous painting and the Saint Bavo Cathedral on your itinerary!
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Posted by Susan Benford
One of the most famous artworks of the 15th century - and one of the most renowned religious paintings of any century - is the Altarpiece of the Lamb. Called The Ghent Altarpiece due to its location in the Saint Bavo Cathedral in Ghent, Belgium, its creators were Hubert and Jan van Eyck (ca. 1390 - 1441); Jan completed the altarpiece in 1432, six years after his brother's death, making it impossible to know which famous painter was reponsible for which panels. Regardless, the altarpiece remains a sterling example of a polyptych, or hinged, multi-panelled painting. As the folding altarpiece is opened, it reveals additional subjects and narratives to its audience.
Van Eyck's masterpiece religious painting consists of twenty four panels of varying sizes and
The Ghent Altarpiece (open). Completed 1432. Tempera and oil on wood, 11'6" by 15'1". Cathedral of St. Bavo, Ghent. shapes aligned in two rows, such that twelve panels are visible with the altarpiece open, and twelve when closed.
When open, the altarpiece depicts the Redemption of Man. In the upper registry,or row of panels, God the Father appears in a frontal pose with a raised hand and a crown at his feet; he is flanked by John the Baptist, who wears a green robe over his hair shirt, and the Virgin, as in the Deesis. On either side are choirs of music-making angels, including Saint Cecilia at her organ. Adam and Eve are portrayed illusionistically in stone niches.
On the step behind the crown at the Lord's feet is a noteworthy inscription: "On his head, life without death. On his brow, youth without age. On his right, joy without sadness. On his left, security without fear." These words capture the Franciscan conception of God as the benevolent Father of the human race, supplanting earlier beliefs in a judgmental, austere God.
The bottom registry is dominated by the most famous artwork in the altarpiece, The Adoration of the Lamb by All Saints. Laden with symbolism (and the subject of a future post!), The Adoration depicts the sacrifice of the Lamb of God, as the Just Judges, The Warriors of Christ, the Holy Hermits and the Holy Pilgrims convene.
The closed Altarpiece consists of three rows. At the top, two Old Testament prophets and two sibyls herald the inevitability of the
The Ghent Altarpiece (closed). Completed 1432. Tempera and oil on wood, approx. 11' 6" by 7' 7".
Annunciation. In the middle is the Annunciation - the angel Gabriel, who foretold the birth of Christ and John the Baptist, delivers his message to Mary (right). Her answer is, as in Jan van Eyck's The Annunciation, 
written upside down for God (and not the viewer) to read. The central lower panel shows John the Baptist, who cradles a lamb, and John the Evangelist, who grasps a chalice. Both of these are painted in grisaille, simulating sculpture, and are related directly to the altarpiece: Saint Bavo Cathedral was dedicated to John the Baptist, and John the Evangelist wrote the Book of Revelation, the source for the interior images. On either side of the saints are believed to be the altarpiece's donors, Jodocus Vijd and his wife, Isabel Borluut.
The van Eyck altarpiece is known for its minutely realistic depiction of every detail, reminding us that both van Eycks trained as miniaturists. As the late Thomas Hoving noted in Greatest Works of Art of Western Civilization, "A visitor could spend a week viewing just the amazing crown. The transformation of base materials to the divine, the sheen of gold on embroidered garments, in no way takes away from the overall impression of devotion and piety. For reverence, the Ghent Altarpiece wins out even over Michelangelo's Sistine ceiling frescoes."
For information about new insights into the Altarpiece, read this analysis from Lotte Brand Philip
here.
Posted by Susan Benford
Among the most famous paintings of the Renaissance, The Arnolfini Portrait has been enigmatic since Jan van Eyck (ca. 1370/90 - 1441) painted it over 450 years ago. He left no documents to clarify its meaning, and little is known of his early life or training. From court and legal documents, scholars have determined that van Eyck was retained in 1425 by Philip the Good, the duke of Burgundy (best known for having captured Joan of Arc). Art historians generally attribute 25 artworks to van Eyck, while noting that signatures are rare on 15th century paintings. Instead, painters signed the frames which often became lost or
Right: Margaret, The Artist's Wife, 1439. Oil on oak, 1439. Approx. 13" x 10". On loan at National Gallery, London, from City Museums (Bruges)
replaced. In the case of van Eyck's Renaissance paintings, at least two carry his signature: Man in a Red Turban, believed to be a self-portrait, (below) and Margaret, The Artist's Wife (right).
Jan van Eyck. Man in a Red Turban (Self Portrait?), 1433. Tempera and oil on wood. 13 1/8" x 10 1/8". National Gallery, London. In both cases, the original frame bears van Eyck's motto, "Als ik kan", or the pun, "As I or Eyck can". While The Arnolfini Portrait lacks its original frame, art historians agree that it's a van Eyck painting - but disagree about its intrepretation.
Above the concave mirror on the back wall, van Eyck has inscribed, "Johannes de eyck fuit hic 1934", which translates as "Jan van Eyck was here, 1434". Typically, though, a painting in 15th century Flanders would have been signed, "Jan van Eyck made this".
Jan van Eyck. The Arnolfini Portrait, 1434. Oil on wood. 32 1/4" x 23 1/2". National Gallery, London.
The verbiage van Eyck used is what an eyewitness to a legal document would've used, fueling controversy about whether this is a wedding portrait of Giovanni Arnolfini and his wife, Giovanna Cenami, or a "power of attorney" painting in which the husband grants legal permission for his wife to act on his behalf during an absence. If this is a wedding portrait, we can safely surmise that Giovanni is 30 years old or younger: in 15th century Flanders, a marriage ultimatum was given to unmarried men who were thirty, with names of those who failed to marry recorded in the dreaded "Book of Disgrace".
The German scholar Erwin Panofsy claimed in 1934 that this Renaissance painting was indeed a wedding portrait, with van Eyck seen in the mirror's reflection (below) and his signature verifying his presence. Various features of The Arnolfini Portrait are associated with matrimony: the couple has removed their shoes in recognition of its sanctity, transforming the
Detail. The Arnolfini Portrait.
bedchamber into a holy place. There are various references to the fertility sought in marriage: the bedpost finial is a wooden statue of Saint Margaret, the patron saint of childbirth, while the fruit on the windowsill and chest alludes to abundance. In keeping with the customs of the time, the woman's robe is cinched above her stomach, giving the appearance of pregnancy but intended to emphasize fertility. While the dog is a rare breed (affenpinscher) indicating the couple's prosperity, it is a traditional symbol of fidelity (thanks to Gardner's Fred Kleiner for noting that the common dog name "Fido" comes from the Latin fido, to trust, the root of ‘fidelity). The ten roundels surrounding the mirror show the Passion of Christ, suggesting the Christian idea that the "eye of God" will watch the newlywed couple.
Research by Lorne Campbell in 1998, however, contends that The Arnolfini Portrait is a double portrait and not a wedding picture. Campbell states that the wedding ceremony Panofsky cited in his argument occurred in 1447 -- four years after the painting was signed, and also six years after van Eyck's death. Barring newly discovered historical documents, The Arnolfini Portrait will remain enigmatic, with the intentions of the artist and patron unclear.
Note: I was amused and amazed to learn that Margaret, The Artist's Wife, was considered a 33 year old beauty dressed in finery of the day -- her crimson gown lined with fur, and her fluted veil were signs of her prosperity.
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