The Ghent Altarpiece
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NameGhent altarpieceInstitutionIntroduction The Ghent altarpiece or which most people refer to as the “Adoration of the mystic Lamb” is a great art piece of the 15th century. It is among the cultural works whose basis is on Netherlandish Renaissance. According to Van der Snickt (2017), this painting was a creation of Hubert and Jan Van Eyck and is very significant in Europe. The inspiration to make the painting was from the book of Revelation, Hubert Van Eyck begun working on it in 1425. However due to his death in 1426, his brother Jan had to complete it, which he did by the year 1432. Ghent altarpiece is found above the altar of Saint Bavo Cathedral, Ghent, in Belgium, which was known as the church of Saint John in the 15th century. This particular painting is of great influence to many, Jan and Hubert also express the mystery of the Catholic religion through the painting. According to De Backer (2017), the whole concept was Hubert’s idea; he came up with the composition regardless of Jan receiving almost all the credit. The oil painting on wood is exceptional and consists of 12 panels that one can open or close. It has a height of 350 cm and a length of 461 cm that is 11 by 15 feet and comprises of three rows. Jan and Hubert took painting to a new level with a new type of realism and illustrating imagery. The use of oil to bring out detail is vivid thus challenging most artists; some people refer to them as the inventors of oil painting. The painting is also symmetrical and the artists bring out the dark and light shades in a detailed manner. The perspective is striking too since the figures are three-dimensional especially how the horses hair is painted. De Backer (2017) adds that the techniques used to make the painting are so impressive that artists such as Gerard David created drawings from it. Below is a pictorial of this art piece.
[pic 1] Figure 1: Source