Ghent Altarpiece
The Ghent Altarpiece, completed in 1432 in Brugge by Jan van Eyck, is a splendid work of art that is synonymous with the Northern Renaissance. It is an oil on wood [panels] piece that takes great detail and artistic design into consideration. The most inspiring fact about this piece is that it can be opened and closed and stands on its own.
Connection
What is the connection? Well, in these paintings, we see humans being given the opportunity to interact with and see Virgin Mary and Jesus, in the flesh. This is very symbolic of the concept of Humanism. It is showing the greatness of humankind, which is a central theme in humanism belief. Another concept that ties along with that would be the emotion that he was trying to incite. The beauty of these paintings are able to bring forth emotion because it is showing the "man" in the audience of God, who is shown in a more forgiving light common with the humanist tradition during this time, as directly stated by Khan Academy's video.
These paintings are very much an expression of the Northern Renaissance. The exquisite attention to detail and also the paintings being made from oil painted unto wood allows us to place it within that period.
Aesthetic Appreciation
As a sidebar and part of the aesthetic appreciation of this work, I would like to stress how much this work of art makes me appreciate Jan van Eyck. The amount of work it must have taken to put together twelve movable frames that allows one to open and close it makes it even more breath-taking. I like to think of it as a Renaissance style picture "book" because when you open it, you can take a trip through the different scenes in each painting that you simply cannot just have one present. Also, pay close attention to the details shown in the paintings. For example, I love the extravagance of God's scepter and his beautiful red robe.
Bibliography:
Harris, Beth, and Steven Zucker. "Jan Van Eyck, The Ghent Altarpiece (2 of 2)." Khan Academy. Khan Academy, n.d. Web. 15 Sept. 2016. <https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/renaissance-reformation/northern-renaissance1/burgundy-netherlands/v/ghent-altarpiece-closed>
"Jan Van Eyck - The Complete Works." Jan Van Eyck - The Complete Works. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Sept. 2016. <http://jan-van-eyck.org>
"Jan Van Eyck - The Complete Works." Jan Van Eyck - The Complete Works. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Sept. 2016. <http://jan-van-eyck.org>
Ah ha! The book aspect of this painting. Excellent analogy Elliott. Wonderful point about the "man" in the presence of God. Good synthesis of the concept of humanism in the context of a religious painting.
ReplyDeleteI think that your correlation between this painting and the influence of Humanism was well thought out and very well explained. I agree with the above comment about your point saying that there is a "man" in the presence of God. Which in my opinion can also relate to the reinvention of Rome by the catholic church!
ReplyDeleteI think this is a very unique piece to write on and it is obvious that you did your homework on this. It is very beautiful and you provided a great synopsis on the artwork. I also agree that it is mind boggling that a human being can do this with our simple hands with no technology. This is a very humanistic piece as it is representing a very arrogant side of humans during this time. At the same time this is a very religious painting and can be related to the renaissance in many different ways.
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