Ghent Altarpiece is window into history of art

Stretching some 12 feet high and 17 feet wide, the Ghent Altarpiece is considered by scholars to be one of the most ambitious and complex paintings of the 15th century. Its richly detailed panels convey its sacred subject matter with such impressive realism that art historians have lauded the work as marking the start of the Northern Renaissance.

To Hugo van der Velden, professor of history of art and architecture in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, the Ghent Altarpiece is more than a landmark — it’s also an excellent teaching tool. The painting is the focus of Van der Velden’s History of Art and Architecture course, “Jan van Eyck and the Rise of Painting.” Van der Velden employs the altarpiece as a springboard for discussion of the growth of Netherlandish painting, and also as a prime example of how to approach the study of art history.

“What is it that we do when we study a painting?” Van der Velden asks. “I am trying to demonstrate that you can go back time and time again to a certain piece, and look at it in a variety of ways, with the result that new aspects will constantly be revealed to you,” he says. “There is an endless variety of ways into a work of art.”

The altarpiece, also known as the “Adoration of the Lamb,” was begun c. 1425. The exterior frame of the altarpiece indicates it was started by the painter Hubert van Eyck — who died before he could finish it — and completed by his brother Jan. The altarpiece was acquired by the wealthy patron Joos Vijd for placement in the Church of Saint John, Ghent. The painting is a triptych, composed of a central painted panel with “wings” on either side that were opened during Mass.

Van der Velden says that the Ghent Altarpiece is an excellent model for inquiry because the painting is so complex. The panels display a variety of detailed scenes, but the center of the altarpiece depicts Jesus Christ, the Virgin, and Saint John the Baptist, and, below them, a host of saints assembled around the mystic lamb.

“Every question this work poses — and there are multiple — requires study from many different angles,” Van der Velden says. “By looking very specifically and in great detail we can set in motion a whole machinery of interpretation.”

Under Van der Velden’s guidance, “the machinery of interpretation” has been wide-ranging and diverse. He and his students have investigated Van Eyck’s extraordinary talent for depicting the texture of precious materials such as metal and cloth, his depiction of reflections in mirrors and suits of armor, and the numerous inscriptions on the altarpiece.

The students have also studied Van Eyck’s representations of sculpture. On the exterior panels of the Ghent Altarpiece, for example, Van Eyck painted two white figures that look like statues. In a recent course meeting, Van der Velden explained that the figures (which represent St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist) are the first documented instance of painted sculpture on the exterior of an altarpiece. According to Van der Velden, the technique generated an “offspring of painted sculptures.”

“Painters emphatically refer back to the sculptures Jan van Eyck painted,” Van der Velden said. “They became the focal part of a tradition.”

The painted sculptures also foreshadowed a spirited debate over which art form — painting or sculpture — should be considered superior, said Van der Velden.

“There is a jocular relationship between painting and sculpture when images are represented in this fashion,” Van der Velden explained. “Van Eyck and his successors may have been poking fun at the limitations of sculpture by including painted stone ‘studs’ that would have been necessary to uphold the figure were it carved in stone.”

In addition to discussing the details of the painting, the course has also explored the context of the Ghent Altarpiece by considering topics such as the role of goldsmiths’ work and embroidery at the court of Burgundy and the relationship between music and the visual arts.

“There is just so much to be said about these panels,” Van der Velden explains. “In developing the syllabus I sought to highlight implications of the piece by casting a wide net, by looking at works by Van Eyck and others that would reinforce ideas and theories about the Ghent Altarpiece.”

Most importantly, Van der Velden hopes the course will “tell a story” of the Ghent Altarpiece.

“I spent the first few weeks just setting the scene so that the students understood the context in which the Ghent Altarpiece was created and subsequently admired,” he says. “To me, the study of art history is all about storytelling. It should evolve as a narrative.”

Students in the course have found the narrative — and Van der Velden’s teaching style — compelling.

“Van der Velden does a wonderful job of making the subject matter interesting,” says Margaret Wang ’09, an economics concentrator. “I had no previous knowledge of the time period or of Netherlandish art, but he frames each discussion so that the material is highly accessible.”

Wang also enjoys the way in which Van der Velden references other subjects to enhance the study of the Ghent Altarpiece.

“He constantly brings in examples of other pieces that supplement your knowledge of Van Eyck,” Wang says. “These may not be things you necessarily have to know in-depth, but they contribute to your general understanding of and appreciation for the Ghent Altarpiece.”

Jim Treadway ’07-08, who concentrates in history of art and architecture, feels similarly about Van der Velden’s approach.

“The discussion of other contemporary works provides interesting color and background for how to interpret the Ghent Altarpiece on many, many levels,” Treadway says. “From the historical context in which the painting was made, to why its style tries so hard to capture a likeness of space, to what the relationship was like between the Church and artists at the time — you really get a sense for all of it.”

The course has led Treadway to develop a newfound interest in Van Eyck’s skill.

“Van der Velden made me see in the first lecture just how phenomenal a painter Jan van Eyck was,” he says. “I hadn’t studied Van Eyck much before so I was instantly excited to learn more about him.”

Most impressive, says Treadway, is Van Eyck’s skill in rendering extreme detail without sacrificing the coherence of the overall composition.

“We studied one detail in Van Eyck’s ‘Rolin Madonna’ [c. 1435] in which a bridge deep in the distance — which only takes up about one centimeter of space on the painting’s surface — has 38 spaced-out, individually dressed individuals on the bridge each engaged in various activities,” he says. “Van der Velden’s PowerPoint presentations will blow up a one centimeter section of a painting like that into an image that covers the entire wall of the lecture room, and the image will stand on its own.”

The altarpiece, also known as the “Adoration of the Lamb,” was begun c. 1425. The exterior frame of the altarpiece indicates it was started by the painter Hubert van Eyck — who died before he could finish it — and completed by his brother Jan. The altarpiece was acquired by the wealthy patron Joos Vijd for placement in the Church of Saint John, Ghent. The painting is a triptych, composed of a central painted panel with “wings” on either side that were opened during Mass.

Van der Velden says that the Ghent Altarpiece is an excellent model for inquiry because the painting is so complex. The panels display a variety of detailed scenes, but the center of the altarpiece depicts Jesus Christ, the Virgin, and Saint John the Baptist, and, below them, a host of saints assembled around the mystic lamb.

“Every question this work poses — and there are multiple — requires study from many different angles,” Van der Velden says. “By looking very specifically and in great detail we can set in motion a whole machinery of interpretation.”

Under Van der Velden’s guidance, “the machinery of interpretation” has been wide-ranging and diverse. He and his students have investigated Van Eyck’s extraordinary talent for depicting the texture of precious materials such as metal and cloth, his depiction of reflections in mirrors and suits of armor, and the numerous inscriptions on the altarpiece.

The students have also studied Van Eyck’s representations of sculpture. On the exterior panels of the Ghent Altarpiece, for example, Van Eyck painted two white figures that look like statues. In a recent course meeting, Van der Velden explained that the figures (which represent St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist) are the first documented instance of painted sculpture on the exterior of an altarpiece. According to Van der Velden, the technique generated an “offspring of painted sculptures.”

“Painters emphatically refer back to the sculptures Jan van Eyck painted,” Van der Velden said. “They became the focal part of a tradition.”

The painted sculptures also foreshadowed a spirited debate over which art form — painting or sculpture — should be considered superior, said Van der Velden.

“There is a jocular relationship between painting and sculpture when images are represented in this fashion,” Van der Velden explained. “Van Eyck and his successors may have been poking fun at the limitations of sculpture by including painted stone ‘studs’ that would have been necessary to uphold the figure were it carved in stone.”

In addition to discussing the details of the painting, the course has also explored the context of the Ghent Altarpiece by considering topics such as the role of goldsmiths’ work and embroidery at the court of Burgundy and the relationship between music and the visual arts.

“There is just so much to be said about these panels,” Van der Velden explains. “In developing the syllabus I sought to highlight implications of the piece by casting a wide net, by looking at works by Van Eyck and others that would reinforce ideas and theories about the Ghent Altarpiece.”

Most importantly, Van der Velden hopes the course will “tell a story” of the Ghent Altarpiece.

“I spent the first few weeks just setting the scene so that the students understood the context in which the Ghent Altarpiece was created and subsequently admired,” he says. “To me, the study of art history is all about storytelling. It should evolve as a narrative.”

Students in the course have found the narrative — and Van der Velden’s teaching style — compelling.

“Van der Velden does a wonderful job of making the subject matter interesting,” says Margaret Wang ’09, an economics concentrator. “I had no previous knowledge of the time period or of Netherlandish art, but he frames each discussion so that the material is highly accessible.”

Wang also enjoys the way in which Van der Velden references other subjects to enhance the study of the Ghent Altarpiece.

“He constantly brings in examples of other pieces that supplement your knowledge of Van Eyck,” Wang says. “These may not be things you necessarily have to know in-depth, but they contribute to your general understanding of and appreciation for the Ghent Altarpiece.”

Jim Treadway ’07-08, who concentrates in history of art and architecture, feels similarly about Van der Velden’s approach.

“The discussion of other contemporary works provides interesting color and background for how to interpret the Ghent Altarpiece on many, many levels,” Treadway says. “From the historical context in which the painting was made, to why its style tries so hard to capture a likeness of space, to what the relationship was like between the Church and artists at the time — you really get a sense for all of it.”

The course has led Treadway to develop a newfound interest in Van Eyck’s skill.

“Van der Velden made me see in the first lecture just how phenomenal a painter Jan van Eyck was,” he says. “I hadn’t studied Van Eyck much before so I was instantly excited to learn more about him.”

Most impressive, says Treadway, is Van Eyck’s skill in rendering extreme detail without sacrificing the coherence of the overall composition.

“We studied one detail in Van Eyck’s ‘Rolin Madonna’ [c. 1435] in which a bridge deep in the distance — which only takes up about one centimeter of space on the painting’s surface — has 38 spaced-out, individually dressed individuals on the bridge each engaged in various activities,” he says. “Van der Velden’s PowerPoint presentations will blow up a one centimeter section of a painting like that into an image that covers the entire wall of the lecture room, and the image will stand on its own.”