Robert Campin's Use Of Imagery In Art

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Imagery in Art started as representational. That is to say that a painting of a man was meant as a literal representation of that man. But as Art progressed through the ages, artists learned new ways of exploring how to convey ideas through image. For instance representing Saint Mark as a lion, Luke the Evangelist as an ox, or Saint John as and eagle. Using symbols and figures to represent ideas or people beyond what they physically are became a type of language for artists. As artists used cultural norms and common visual analogies more in their works, the meaning behind the imagery deepened. When oil paints were coming in to vogue in Flanders in the early 15th Century artists like Jan van Eyck and Robert Campin used the continuously adaptable …show more content…

His use of oil paints and the way he layered colors is reminiscent of van Eyck who painted in the same region around the same time. Campin’s piece the Mérode Altarpiece is a stunning example of flemish symbolism and iconography. The imagery in this altarpiece contains vast amounts of religious symbolism, although the extent and exact nature of this is much debated. As Lorne Campbell points out in the paper titled Robert Campin, the Master of Flémalle and the Master of …show more content…

Though the tilted plane of the scene and cutaways are still characteristic of the International Gothic style, humanistic tendencies shine through with inclusion of the patrons in the right panel, (much like in the Ghent Altarpiece) showing that humans are worthy to view the scene of the Annunciation, another clear example of the Humanism of the Early Renaissance. Campin also turned common household objects into religious symbols, like the candle snuffed out on the table of the center panel symbolizes the end of Christ’s life. A scroll and book are in front of Mary, denoting the Old and the New Testaments, and the role that Mary and the Christ child played in the fulfillment of prophecy. The arrangements for washing at the back of the room, which are considered unorthodox for a domestic interior, may relate to the kindred arrangements of a piscina for the officiating priest to wash his hands during Mass. The lilies in the earthenware vase on the table represent Mary's virginity. The lion finials on the bench may have a symbolic role (referring to the Seat of Sapience, or throne of Solomon) - this feature is often visually perceived in other paintings, religious or secular (like van Eyck's Arnolfini Portrait). The sixteen sides of the table may allude to the

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