The one known as Ghent Polyptych It is, without a doubt, one of the most important Flemish paintings in the history of art.. It is a colossal table, more than 3 meters long and more than 2 meters high, in which a highly inspired iconography is synthesized together with the characteristic detail of flamenco art.
For centuries, the Ghent Polyptych, located in the Cathedral of Saint Bavo in the same city, has fascinated the public both for its gigantic dimensions and for its rich symbolism. Its recent restoration has brought it back to life to the vivid colors that the Van Eyck brothers, the authors of the panel, imagined in the 15th century. Today we stop at this masterpiece and give you clues to understand all its symbology.
The Ghent Polyptych preserved in Saint Bavo is a capital piece of early Flemish art, both for its pictorial quality and for its symbolism and its herculean dimensions. The table is also known as The Adoration of the Mystical Lambsince this is the central scene around which the rest of the panels revolve.
Let’s start at the beginning: what is a polyptych? It is a word that unites two Greek voices, polu (multiple, varied) and ptyche (fold). In art history it is used to refer to a painting that is divided into various sections. From the same root comes triptycha word the reader is likely most familiar with, which refers to an image divided into three panels.
In the case of the Polyptych of the Adoration of the Mystical Lamb We have no less than twenty panels that are located, like a constellation, around the larger central scene. Its multiplicity of independent images and its extraordinary dimensions make this work something sublime, which the human eye cannot encompass with a single glance. Let’s examine it in more detail.
The context: the rise of the Flemish towns
The work was commissioned by the prosperous merchant Joos Vijd and his wife Elisabeth Borluut to decorate the family’s private chapel in the church of Saint Bavo, in Ghent. This was quite common among wealthy families, both of the nobility and the bourgeoisie: to pay for a work of a devotional nature not only for the salvation of their souls, but also to demonstrate their status. Let us remember that a piece of art was something very expensive, that only the most powerful could finance.
At the beginning of the 15th century, the Flemish towns experienced an unprecedented rise. The flourishing of its trade, in continuous contact with the Italian cities and, therefore, with the commercial corridor that connected them with the East, allowed the development of an increasingly influential and powerful bourgeois class, the authentic driving force of art and artists. .
The Van Eyck brothers
We owe such a masterpiece of painting to two of the great names of the time: the brothers Jan and Hubert van Eyck. Framed in the group that has been called “flemish primitives”, their work, especially that of Jan, represents a milestone in 15th century flamenco art..
Traditionally (and for too long) these Flemish primitives were included within Gothic art. However, this classification is meaningless. The formal and technical characteristics of these painters have nothing to do with the precepts of Gothic, as they are children of the rapid expansion of empiricism and, of course, of the studies of nature that began to be carried out in the 14th century. The Flemish primitives are, therefore, very much in line with these first foundations of the scientific revolution that represented, among others, the so-called “Oxford Circle”.
Currently, the Flemish primitives are included within the art of the Renaissance, because, although their technique differs from that of the Italian artists, it also proposes a break with traditional painting and, above all, a novel representation of perspective and space. In other words; The Flemish primitives, among whom were the Van Eyck brothers, revolutionized the history of painting with their innovative technique and, especially, with their mastery of oil paint, a new pictorial procedure that allowed reality to be captured with unprecedented detail.
Understanding the Ghent Polyptych
The complex symbology of the Ghent Polyptych forces us to examine it in more detail to better understand its meaning. Let’s look at it panel by panel.
The lower body: the Lamb and the Blessed
The central panel scene of the Ghent Polyptych focuses on the Adoration of the Mystical Lamb, above which we see a Glory headed with the dove of the Holy Spirit. The lamb represents Christ, whose sacrifice, the Eucharist, will serve as salvation for humanity.
A plethora of figures unfold around the Lamb; the Blessed, that is, those who will enjoy the grace of the Savior: apostles, prophets, holy martyrs, who approach in procession towards the Christ-lamb. The landscape, vividly green in allusion to blessedness, is represented down to the smallest detail. The side panels of this central panel show some holy knights, pilgrims, hermits and the righteous judges.
The upper body of the polyptych is presided over by a representation of God the Father who carries the Triregnum as a symbol of his power over all things. The vertical axis that connects it with the Holy Spirit and the Lamb (Christ) is an obvious allusion to the sacred Trinity.
On both sides of the image of God the Father we see a Deesis composed of the figures of the Virgin (on the left from the viewer) and Saint John the Baptist (on the right), probably an allusion to the name of the patron of the polyptych.
On both sides of the Virgin and Saint John we observe exquisitely made musical angels. The detail and verity of their figures (so characteristic of flamenco art) is reflected not only in their clothing and hair, but also in the graceful attitudes of their faces.
On the other hand, the outer panels of the upper body feature Adam and Eve. The latter carries the forbidden apple in her hand, temptingly, while, with the other, she tries to cover her nakedness. Adam performs the same modest gesture, in the panel at the other end, a symbol of the fall into sin (for let us remember that, before the arrival of Protestantism, nakedness was a virtue: God made man in his image and likeness). .
In fact, it is precisely this gesture of covering themselves that betrays them before God. The sense of sin and man’s fall from grace is accentuated by the presence of two small grisailles at the edges of the panels, which represent Cain and Abel.
The closed polyptych also hides secrets
We are used to seeing the polyptych open, but in reality, originally it was only opened during solemn celebrations. This means that it was usually closed, and that is how visitors could see it.
In the side panels of the first body of the closed polyptych we find Joos Vijd and his wife Elisabeth, the donors of the altarpiece. In the center we see the saints johns in grisaille (again, a reference to the name of the donor).
In the second body of the closed altarpiece we can see a beautiful Annunciation, where Mary is informed by the Archangel Gabriel of her divine pregnancy. This scene connects with the message of the tables of Adam and Eve, since Mary is the “New Eve”, the woman who will redeem the sin initiated by Adam’s wife. As is usual in these representations, the Annunciation scene takes place in a Flemish bourgeois interior, where, in addition, we appreciate the accurate mathematical perspective that gives us an incredible sensation of depth, which is accentuated by the use of the open window in the background. .
Finally, in the attic of the closed polyptych we find two prophets of the Old Testament and two sibyls (the Eritrean and the Cumanian) who, according to tradition, announced the coming of Christ.
The fascinating flamenco realism
One of the most outstanding characteristics of the Ghent Polyptych is, of course, its fascinating realism, characteristic of the Flemish school and of the Van Eyck brothers in particular.
Through the innovative technique of oil painting, painters are able to create a perfect illusion of depth and volume. On the other hand, the study of nature, already preached in the previous century, provided them with many clues to represent the elements. The vegetation is so detailed in Jan van Eyck’s paintings that botanical experts are able to recognize each of the species represented. And it is that All the details (the wrinkles on the face, the folds on the dress, the shine on the jewelry…) are captured with almost surgical precision..
But, as we have already seen, the work of the Van Eyck brothers is not a simple imitation of reality, as it is impregnated with a complex symbolism, which makes the work surpass its realism and connect with the transcendental. Each element of the work is part of a delicate and complex network of symbols that makes it even more fascinating.
Restorations and controversies
The Ghent polyptych has been the subject of many and varied restorations, since the panel suffered numerous vicissitudes throughout history. These restorations, which sought to return the altarpiece to its original splendor, have not always been successful and have given rise to multiple controversies about how to approach the repaintings and the various changes that the work has undergone.
The last of these restorations recovered the face of the Lamb, the original that had come from the brush of the Van Eyck brothers, which had been radically modified so that it resembled a real lamb. However, this modification substantially altered the original symbolism devised by the painters.
