Brussels Art: Your Choice Blog Post

For my art piece I am doing the Lamb of God.  This art piece shows Jesus as a king in the center of the alter piece.  You have John the Baptist and Mary off to his sides along with a choir, piano player, and Adam and Eve.  Underneath him you have people flocking to see the lamb of God which represents Jesus in the very center.  Something that I noticed was how bright the colors are.  You can tell Van Eyck wanted to capture our attention using color and how grand this alter piece is.  It looks like something that is very rich.  The clothing that they are all wearing is rich looking with gold trim and bright colors.  Another thing I noticed was the shape of Eve's body.  She looks like a normal slim woman, however, her stomach is swollen.  I wonder if this is to portray her as a postpartum woman.  

I believe this was so important because of the meaning behind it.  Van Eyck was able to create a painting with so much meaning behind it.  Noticing all of the detail with the lamb in the center shows how thought out this painting is.  Another thing that was so significant about this alter piece is because it was created using lighting natural and through painting.  Van Eyck was meticulous with how he wanted you to view the painting.  He emphasized the center points by having you look specifically to the lamb and to Christ.  It is also so impactful for this time period because he using new realism which was so different than previous art.  His use of depicting Bible scenes in such a realistic way with also such a rich meaning was so unlike anything else at that time.  

I believe this contributes to this city's status as a cultural capital because he was commissioned by this church.  It shows that the church has a rich influence in this city and also shows that the church has a great deal of money to be able to commission such a piece.  It shows that Belgium is still a leading in Europe for the amount of money they have.  It also shows that they are willing and able to create something that was unique for the time.  They were the pioneers in this style of art which helps to show they they will be pioneers for other things.  

Comments

  1. Theresa BellMay 9, 2024 at 1:07 AM

    This is wonderful Elease! I agree that Van Eyck was so meticulous with the painting, it really directs your attention to the lamb itself. The Lamb of God is so incredibly famous, and for good reason. I think your discussion here could make a great part of your answer to question three for the cities final, because you do a wonderful job of discussing the importance of the painting for Belgium.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Caroline CaineMay 9, 2024 at 12:10 PM

    Hi Elease, I loved reading your blog post! This would be a great example for the third question on the cities final. It mentions how cultural capitals are strengthened by artistic masterpieces, and this for sure is one! I love how you talked about the rich influence this church has on the city and how it is such a prized possession. I agree that it is a beautiful painting and contributes to Brussels being a huge cultural capital.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Sayler SchlosserMay 9, 2024 at 3:47 PM


    Hey Elise,
    Your description of the Lamb of God art piece is great! I love how you noticed all the little details, like the bright colors and the symbolism behind Eve's appearance. It's amazing how the painting captures so much meaning and emotion. Van Eyck's use of light and realism really makes the artwork stand out, especially for its time. It's not just a painting it's a masterpiece filled with depth and significance. The fact that it was commissioned by a church shows the city's rich cultural and religious influence. It's a testament to Belgium's wealth and creativity, paving the way for new styles of art and innovation.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Sophie TravellerMay 19, 2024 at 10:55 AM

    Fantastic job Elease!! I loved how you explained that it showed how much influence the church had on the city and its culture and that they were able to commission such an expensive in order to maintain a status. I also love that you tied it to the fact that they were pioneering something, the Ghent alter piece was definitely one of a kind at its time and the mayor new this and found value in having an art piece like that to be the center of their new cathedral. They really used this art piece to build up their city and their fame.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Lisbon: Amalia Rodrigues Blog Post

Image
I have learned a lot about this woman during this trip.  I learned that she can sing in five different languages: Portuguese, French, Spanish, English and Italian.  She was the most famous woman at the time.  She was very interested in clothing, jewlery, and sunglasses.  She grew up as a seamstress and working her whole life.  I also learned that she had a parrot that is still alive today.  She was married twice.  Once because her parents really wanted her too.  Her other marriage was with a man she loved who died just two years before her of a heart attack which is the same way she died.   Her contribution was so important because she created a community within several countries.  She was able to sing in so many languages which helped to unite these countries in a common love.  She also was able to sing about something that is political which was very controversial at the time.  She was a powerful woman and was able to pa...
Read more

Amsterdam Woman: Your Choice Blog Post

Image
I want to do my blog post on Bet van Beeran.  This woman was LGBTQ+ and was open about it during Nazis rule in Amsterdam.  This was not accepted in this time but especially not accepted when the Nazis were in Amsterdam.  We learned a lot about her and her contribution of protecting others specifically during the time of the Nazis.  She had a cafe that was a safe place for others, specifically the LGBTQ+ community, but also anyone else who needed protection and a safe place to be who they are.  She would have a owl that would warn others when Nazis were around that she would light.  The people that she protected and helped ended up calling themselves the "Owls."  I loved learning about Bet van Beeran because she was someone that could have only protected herself because of her own persecution from Nazis, however, she decided to be there to help others as well.   I think Bet van Beeran contribution is so important because she allowed for a safe...
Read more