15th Century Northern European Art Images

Question 1

***Likely on Exam
Title: Ghent Altarpiece (open), Adoration of the Mystic Lamb
Location: Cathedral of St. Bavo, Ghent
Time Period: 1432
Medium: Oil on panel
Artist: Jan and Hubert van Eyck

Answer 1

1. Immediately upon its completion, the altarpiece was already famous
   - Became a right of passage for artists to go and see it
2. Incredibly coveted and consistently stolen throughout its lifetime
   - During French occupation of Flanders it was transferred to Paris in 1794
   - During WWII it was confiscated by the Nazi’s
3. Remarkable realism in how the human form is depicted
   - Many viewers deemed it “animated” because of its life-like representations
4. Showing off skills:
   - Depicting different hair textures, gold coloring, a variety of emotions etc.
5. Mastery of artificial illumination
   - The shading indicates a clear light source
   - The painted lighting engages with the physical church: the upper panels and their painted composition reflects how light actually shone into the church
6. Importance of oil paint as the medium relates to van Eyck and his mastery of it

Question 2

Various Representations?

Answer 2

Representations:
a) Upper Central Panels - God wears a red robe and a triple crown, Mary wears blue and a different crown, John wears green
b) Upper Side Panels - Adam appears to be walking out of the frame, dirtiness of his foot shows that he performs labour seen as disrespecting his sanctity, represents nakedness instead of nudity
c) Lower Panels - An altar represented in an altarpiece, the lamb is the most famous part of the painting, the book of revelations is brought down to the earthy realm

Question 3

Title: St. Luke Drawing the Virgin and Child
Location: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Time Period: c. 1435-1440
Medium: Oil and tempera on wood panel
Artist: Rogier van der Weyden

Interpretations?

Answer 3

1. A self-portrait of Luke
   - Distancing himself from laboring artists of middle and lower classes by creating valuable works of art
   - Initiated a trend
2. St. Luke is Rogier
   - Boasting his own ability by painting himself as St. Luke and placing it in the guild hall to show off to peers and colleagues
   - A representational device to elevate their medium into something associated with with things such as literature
3. An example of how artists use technical representational devices to pull the viewer deeper into the painting
   - Artists become world-builders

Question 4

Title: Portinari Altarpiece (open)
Location: Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence
Time Period: c. 1474-1476
Medium: Tempera and oil on wood panel
Artist: Hugo van der Goes

Answer 4

1. Depicting a far away place by using roman features from antiquity
   - Ancient Rome is being used to portray history
2. First time depicting rulers converting to Christianity
3. Commissioned by Portinari
   - Left wing depicts the patient in the painting with his son alongside him as well as 2 saints with the same namesake and the right wing depicts his wife and daughter with Saints that share their namesake
   - There is a massive claim to regency and religious authority by doing so
4. The idea of succession is the most important theme of the painting
   - i.e. the architecture painted shows Romanesque columns making it clear that while it is a narrative event, the point of succession is of importance
5. The start of antiquity being feared
   - An awareness of pagan gods
   - Sites like Bethlehem are viewed with suspicion (i.e. a demon is seen in the darkness of the painting)
   - In hiding a demon within the darkness of the painting, Hugo may be indicating a deep suspicion of antiquity in the history of it in relation to the lands