The Merode Alterpiece

Question 1

Opening/Closing of altarpiece

Answer 1

Folding panels allowed the altarpiece to be opened and closed in line with the liturgical calendar.

Question 2

Subject?

Answer 2

Triptych depicting the Annunciation accompanied by two side panels featuring the patrons and Joseph in his carpentry studio.

Question 3

Central Panel?

Answer 3

The Angel Gabriel and the Virgin Mary - placed within a contemporary domestic setting. This is unusual, and perhaps intended to create a more relatable Madonna for the viewer.

Question 4

Right hand wing?

Answer 4

Joseph in his workshop surrounded by carpentry tools. A large window opens up onto a market square – perhaps the town of the artist or the patron. Establishes a closer personal connection with the viewer.

Question 5

Left hand wing?

Answer 5

The two patrons depicted in traditional kneeling donor portraits. The placement of the door suggests that the figures are looking into the central panel of the Annunciation, placing the patrons even closer to the holy figures.

Question 6

Small size?

Answer 6

Small size suggests the altarpiece was designed for domestic use. The panels of the triptych can be folded against one another which meant that it could be easily transported by the owner.

Question 7

Northern Renaissance style?

Answer 7

Demonstrates the influence of the Northern Renaissance in its minute attention to detail, focus on luxurious fabrics, heightened realism (as opposed to the idealised style of the Italian Renaissance) and symbolism.

Question 8

Symbols of virgin humanity?

Answer 8

The Virgin’s seated position presents her as the ‘Virgin of humility’. contemporary setting and clothing.

Question 9

Symbols foreshadowing christ’s death?

Answer 9

The golden rays shining through the window containing the figure of the Christ child and the cross. Joseph’s carpentry tools and the rusted nails on the window allude to Christ’s crucifixion.

Question 10

Symbols of the annunciation?

Answer 10

The lily (Gabriel’s attribute) and the extinguished candle, which signifies the presence of the holy spirit.

Question 11

Symbols of the purity of the Virgin?

Answer 11

The bronze laver and towel symbolizes her cleanliness. The Hortus Conclusus (enclosed garden) where the patrons kneel signify the Virgin’s closed off womb.

Question 12

Rising merchant class in Flanders?

Answer 12

Towns and ports grew in size and number as it became the major center for trade in northern Europe. The Flemish towns therefore functioned as a crucible for both the highly specialized artists and wealthy merchant class patrons.

Question 13

Patronage during northern renaissance?

Answer 13

Contemporary religious belief encouraged private meditation in which the viewer was expected to empathise with the holy figures. The patron is immortalised within the altarpiece as a witness to the Annuniciation and would probably have prayed in front of the image on a daily basis.

Question 14

Englebrecht?

Answer 14

The altarpiece was likely purchased at the time of Jan Engelbrecht’s betrothal/marriage. The Annunciation - in addition to its obvious connection to the patron’s name (Englebrecht means ‘angel brings’), would have been a suitable theme for a marriage and supported the patron’s hope of future children.

Question 15

Panels?

Answer 15

The Annunciation panel was completed first and purchased by the patron. The side panels were added at a later date. The wife’s portrait was the final addition to commemorate their marriage.

Question 16

Sense of space?

Answer 16

Despite the realism of the scene, this is an impossible, unreal space – seen in the awkward positioning of the tables and the monumental size of the figures. All three panels have different vanishing points and horizon lines. Suggests Brunelleschi’s development of linear perspective in 1415 in Italy had not yet travelled to Northern countries.

Question 17

Oil Paint?

Answer 17

The use of oil paint allows Campin to create a sense of extreme realism and verisimilitude. Slow drying which allows for precision of detail. Remains workable for longer than egg tempera which means the artist can create greater modulations of colour to add depth.

Question 18

Northern Renaissance style vs Italian Renaissance style?

Answer 18

Northern artists introduced powerful and influential changes, such as the perfection of oil paint and almost impossible representation of minute detail, practices that clearly distinguish Northern art from Italian art. The Northern Renaissance style also departed from Italian idealism, seen here in Campin’s highly individualised figures. Northern artists also tended to place figures within a more contemporary, recognisable setting in contrast to their Italian counterparts (who would usually place holy figures in an idealised landscape), in order to appeal to their merchant class patrons.