The great twelve-panelled Altarpiece of the Holy Lamb in St Bavo's Cathedral, Ghent, completed in 1432, is one of the most famous of all Western works of art. Incorporating vivid portraits, surprisingly realistic nudes, and sparkling, clear landscapes, townscapes and interior views, all dominated by a majestic figure of the Deity, it might be described as a summary of the aims and achievements of North European art in the fifteenth century. Numerous details, of figures and costume, buildings and trees and flowers, caugth with an exquisite precision in bright fresh colours, catch the eye and haunt the memory. It is a masterpiece of realistic painting executed in, and to some extent made possible by, the recently discovered medium of oil paint. Yet, at the same time, it is a profoundly mystical work in which every element contributes to its religious significance. In this book, which includes numerous details, Dr Elisabeth Dhanens examines the complex history of the altarpiece, shedding new light on its early history and its meaning. She discusses the vexed question of authorship - how much of the painting was by Jan van Eyck and how much by the mysterious Hubert - proposes a new source for its iconographical programme, and sets the whole work in the context of fifteenth-century thought and life in Flanders. Although much has previously been written about the Altarpiece - probably more than about any comparable work of art - Dr Dhanens provides both new information and original observations which deepen the reader's understanding and appreciation of one of the greatest of all European paintings. -- amazon.com
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