What does the lamb in the Ghent Altarpiece represent?
The Lamb is the personification of Jesus who sacrifices his life to save mankind from its sins. The instruments of the Passion depicted refer to his crucifixion.
Where was the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb originally from?
Ghent, Belgium
Jan and Hubert van Eyck’s famous Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, better known as the Ghent Altarpiece of 1432, ranks among the most significant works of art in Europe. Housed at Saint Bavo Cathedral in Ghent, Belgium, the large and complex altarpiece suffered a varied history over the centuries.
What is the story behind the Ghent Altarpiece?
An influential citizen of Ghent, Vijd commissioned the altarpiece for the Church dedicated to St. John the Baptist (now the Cathedral of St. Bavo) in his home city as a means of saving his soul while simultaneously celebrating his wealth.
What is the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb about?
Jan van Eyck1432 the Lamb stands erect on the altar – alive but bleeding from a wound. It’s blood spurts out into a chalice. The allusion is clear – Christ’s death and ressurection – his sacrifice for humanity – are commemorated on the altar during every Mass.
Who painted the Adoration of the Lamb?
Jan van EyckAdoration of the Lamb / Artist
What does the word altarpiece mean?
Definition of altarpiece : a work of art that decorates the space above and behind an altar.
What is the function of an altarpiece?
altarpiece, work of art that decorates the space above and behind the altar in a Christian church. Painting, relief, and sculpture in the round have all been used in altarpieces, either alone or in combination. These artworks usually depict holy personages, saints, and biblical subjects.
What was the function of these small altarpieces in Northern Renaissance Europe?
They were designed to wow the congregation with striking images of the Bible story, and so spectacular were some of these works that they were kept closed or even hidden for most of the year, only to be fully revealed on very special occasions like Easter and Christmas.
What is the history of the Ghent Altarpiece?
The Ghent Altarpiece was originally installed above the altar of a chantry chapel founded by Joos Vijd and his wife Elizabeth Borluut. The two also commissioned the altarpiece, and Jan van Eyck has painted two extremely lifelike portraits of Joos and Elizabeth.
What is the significance of the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb?
In The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb (left detail), the sacrifice of the lamb, symbol of Christ’s slaughter for our salvation, is similarly Byzantine in origin. The inner panels are painted in the bold and dynamic naturalistic style for which the artist Jan van Eyck is justifiably famous.
What does the Lamb bleed into on the altar?
The lamb, positioned near a wooden cross, bleeds into a eucharistic chalice upon a cloth-adorned altar. Both the cloth and the chalice are contemporary items, common to the fifteenth century, and likely would have resembled the altar and accessories in the painting’s designated chapel.
Where did Jan van Eyck paint the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb?
Lamb (detail), Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, bottom center panel, Jan van Eyck, Ghent Altarpiece, completed 1432, oil on wood, 11 feet 5 inches x 15 feet 1 inch (open), Saint Bavo Cathedral, Ghent, Belgium (photo: Closer to Van Eyck)