Art History: Robert Campin: Merode Altarpiece, Jan van Eyck. Arnolfini wedding, Dirk Bouts. Deposition. Late Gothic

Art History
Name
Course
Instructor
Date
Robert Campin: Merode Altarpiece. 1425-28. Northern. Late Gothic
There are three panels represented in the Merode Altarpiece with the central piece depicting the Virgin Mary at a Flemish home (Rutgers.edu, 2015). The oil painting combines Biblical themes to highlight the inside of a home to link the Christian beliefs on the importance of Mary and the angels. The theological symbolism of the painting is prominent as the painter relied on a rich allay of colors. White symbolizes purity as depicted by the angle. Campin combines symbolism with realism to depict the association of the secular world with the sacred themes. The three panels combine make the painting appear to have spatial reality. The Merode Altarpiece seems real as it was first painted and then glazed with oil paint, and this provides more depth in color compared to may other paintings of the Gothic era (Kleiner, 2013). Additionally, the choice of oil paints makes the Merode Altarpiece appear to have subtle tonal transitions. The submerged symbolism achieves the intended purpose of representing iconography to represent scenes, but different interpretations can be attached to the painting. Campin also relies on twisted angles rather than liner perspectives to emphasize details and the visual impacts of the objects.
Jan van Eyck. Arnolfini wedding 1434- Northern. Late Gothic
Jan van Eyck also uses oil paints to give the portraiture glowing textures and colors. There is disguised symbolism as was the case with the Northern late Gothic painters. The unnatural proportions of the people depicted draws attention to the figures, but the use of oil paints depict realism. The figures in the double portrait do not show any emotion, while there is no creation of space (Rutgers.edu, 2015). Van Eyck emphasize...