Jan van Eyck’s Ghent Altarpiece
Jan van Eyck was one of the great artists of the Northern Renaissance. Among his masterpieces is the Ghent Altarpiece, created in collaboration with his brother Hubert for the Saint Bavo Cathedral in Ghent, Belgium in 1432.
The altarpiece is made up of twenty-four paintings on hinged panels that can be opened or closed to display different scenes. The closed position displays an annunciation scene, based on the biblical story of an angel visiting Mary to announce that she will give birth to Christ.
Here is a detail of the announcing angel.
Opening the panels reveals images of the Virgin Mary, God, and John the Baptist, and a mystic scene of the adoration of the lamb, flanked by worshipers and images of Adam and Eve from the bibilical creation story.
Below are higher resolution detail images. Click and zoom for a closer look.
More art of the Northern Renaissance
Anybody else get the impression that the townspeople appear believing and devoted, while the popes look either shifty or bored?
I grok renaissance art
What a fantastic post. Very interesting.
Thank you for this post! It has reminded me of my youth, when I visited Ghent and admired this Alteripiece. It is phantastic!