Robert Campin's Mérode Altarpiece

Symbolism in the Mérode Altarpiece
Robert Campin’s Mérode Altarpiece is a triptych that combines theological elements with secular ones, featuring the Annunciation in the central panel, donors of the piece in the left, and Joseph in the right. Employing the new technique of oil painting, Campin was able to recreate the scene with incredible details, which Archangel Gabriel delivers the news to the Virgin Mary that she will bear Christ. Through the utilization of primary colors, Campin accentuates the key figures in the central panel, the Virgin Mary and Gabriel. Furthermore, Campin achieves naturalism and illustrates religious meaning with the use of brushstrokes that convey light and shadow. The depiction of Joseph and the patrons provide
Given that the triptych is used for worship at home, it’s not unlikely this is what Campin strives for. Joseph’s presence in the Annunciation is untraditional, and his craft of carpentry is depicted in the right wing of the altarpiece (Schapiro 182). Campin did so to create a warm, domestic environment. In other words, the artist is asserting his presence. The skill of Joseph is parallel to the craftsmanship of Campin, which involves a creative process of building something from scratch. Shapiro argues that Joseph making a mousetrap is more than a whimsical choice on Campin’s part; it has theological meaning (182). Saint Augustine invokes the metaphor of the mousetrap to explain the significance of the incarnation of Christ, that Christ’s flesh is bait for the devil, and in doing so, will lead to its own destruction, foreshadowing what awaits Christ (Schapiro 182). This is not the only metaphor concerning Christ’s sacrifice. Similarly, Gregory of Nyssa and Cyril employed the metaphor of Christ as bait on a fishhook previously (Schapiro 183). Furthermore, Schapiro mentions that the writing of the fishhook analogy was contemporary to the Mérode altarpiece (183). This theological metaphor is reinforced by the annunciation in the central panel (Schapiro 183). Moreover, The Merode triptych reflects spreading of the cult of Joseph beginning in the late 1300s (Schapiro 184). The various objects
The objects depicted in Mérode’s Annunciation, like the laver, the towel, and the linen, are “liturgicall paraphernalia” instead of household objects (Gottlieb 65). Gottlieb makes the point that, middle class household in the 1400s would not install such an object in their dining room; even when it appears in the bedroom, it’s placed on a piece of furniture, as seen in Roger van der Weyden’s depiction of the Annunciation is Thalamus Virginis (65). A basin is a normal object found in the church: Pope Leo IV has said “Prepare in the sacristy (secretarium) or nearby a place where it is possible to pour the water which has served to purify the sacred vessels; one should place there a clean linen with a fountain, and here the priest will wash his hands after having dispensed the Communion” (Gottlieb 65). Furthermore, Gottlieb suggests that the piscine found in the Mérode Altarpiece is identical to a vessel preserved in the Church of St. Leonard at Zoutleeuw, which appears in Braun’s illustrations (66). The piscina symbolizes “purification in baptism”, a reference to Jesus; evidence for this is seen in both Honorius Augustodunensis (early 1100s) and Durandus’ (ca. 1230-1296) writings (Gottlieb 67). A later rendition of the Annunciation at Santa Maria di Castello by Justus von Ravensburg depicts a bird dipping into a fountain, signifying the salvation