Dimensions: 11' 6" x 15' 1" (3.5 m x 4.6 m)
Medium: Oil, Tempera on Wood Panel
It would seem appropriate to start this blog with possibly the greatest painting of all time, by none other than the Master, Jan van Eyck. The Ghent Altarpiece is perhaps van Eyck's most famous work and in addition, one of the most desired pieces of art in the world. Since its installation, it has been a victim of thirteen crimes, seven of which involved theft. The painting is rendered in chiaroscuro (different values of gray) and everything -- from jewels, to grass, to facial expressions, to each and every strand of hair, is painted with immense meticulousness. Jan van Eyck used very small brushes to paint intricate details and yet never failed to create a cohesive, breathtaking atmosphere in the grand scheme of each painting. His innovative approach to oil painting was so revolutionary in the early 15th century that he was rumored to have been the one to invent oil painting. However, he is said to have been the first to use oil painting on wooden panel.
Jan van Eyck (circa 1390-1441) was a Flemish painter whose remarkable talent was acknowledged by Duke Philip the Good of Burgundy. The Duke quickly recognized the advantages of van Eyck's realistic approach to painting and hired him as his court painter. One of the services he performed on behalf of the Duke involved a long journey to Lisbon, where he was to paint a portrait of Isabella of Portugal, the Duke's wife-to-be, so that he could see what she looked like prior to marrying her.
The Ghent Altarpiece is a polyptych painting (done on multiple panels). It can be viewed opened or closed. It is likely that this was the only van Eyck painting that was meant for public display. Depending on the day, the altarpiece would vary in how it was presented. On Sundays and feast days, the altarpiece was opened, meaning that throughout most of the year it remained closed.
While closed, the top portion of the altarpiece shows Old Testament prophets and sibyls, who predicted the coming of Christ. In the middle, we see The Annunciation, in which the arch angel Gabriel has come to inform the Virgin that she will be conceiving Christ. The angel Gabriel holds lilies, symbolizing Mary's purity -- there is text which appears to be coming out of the angels mouth, saying "Ave Maria." We also see a response to the angel beside Mary, also in Latin, written, "Ecce Ancilla dom." The virgin's response is not only written backwards, but also upside down, which may hint that her response is being directed both toward Gabriel (backwards) and to God (upside down). At the bottom of the closed altarpiece, we see St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist in the middle and portraits of the husband and wife who commissioned the altarpiece left and right corners. It was believed that commissioning a painting for the Church and including oneself in such a painting was a way into heaven. Through the entire painting there is an incredible play on complex lighting. Although there is an advanced sense of realism for the time period, northern Renaissance painting still lacked some of the fundamental discoveries that were made particularly in the Italian Renaissance, i.e. linear perspective and a deeper understanding of human anatomy.
"This polyptych is mystical, not to say esoteric, in intention, and is imbued throughout with both spiritual and intellectual signification. When opened, it represents the communion of saints, which is 'the new heaven and the new earth,' in the words of the Revelation of St. John. Thus the central panel of the lower tier portrays the saints symbolizing the eight Beatitudes gathered around the altar where the sacrifice of the Lamb is taking place, at the centre of the heavenly garden which has sprung from his blood." (Source)
The Ghent Altarpiece (closed)
The Ghent Altarpiece (open)
To give you a better idea of exactly how incredible this painting is, here are some closeups of the detail.
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