What Is Campin's Merode Altarpiece?
The Descent from the Cross (Deposition of Christ) by Roger Van der Weyden it measures roughly 7 feet x 8.5 feet, and is located in Great Crossbowmen's Guild of Louvain the medium used is Oil on oak panel.
The second piece is Merode Altarpiece created by Robert Campin the piece as a whole measures 25 3/8 x 46 3/8 in, it is located Tournai, South Netherlands and the medium used is also oil on oak panel.
2. In the first panel of the Merode altarpiece a messenger is depicted on his knees seeming to be looking into the room depicted in the center panel. Behind the messenger is a woman kneeling and a guard towards the wall. There seems to be a wall around the house and plenty of plant life. The colors used are bright and reminiscent of springtime. The roses are in bloom, a blue sky and bird perched on the tops of the wall. In the second and center panel there are two people, the Virgin Mary and the angel Gabriel. There are also plenty of things in the panel hinting at the virgin’s divinity such as white lilies, the vessel of water and the white towel, the small windows at the side of the room …show more content…
create a feeling of claustrophobia but it might indicate Mary’s virginity. There is also an image of a child with a cross in the light coming in from the window possibly representing the sacrifice of Christ. In the last panel Joseph is depicted in his workshop there are the tools of his trade all around him and they all have a symbolic attachment to the life of Christ. Such as the saw which refers to peter cutting off the ear of the high priest’s servant, the log alludes to the crucifixion as does the nails, hammers, chisels, pliers and screwdrivers. The meaning of the mouse-trap on Joseph's table remains obscure, and many artists and critics argue what it symbolizes.
The second altarpiece is the Deposition of Christ, there are ten people depicted in the scene. In the center is the body of Jesus as it is taken down from the cross. The body is being helped down by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus. The woman on the left is Mary Magdalene, known by her low-cut dress. The body of Christ clearly shows the wounds inflicted during crucifixion the holes in his hand and feet, the blood on his forehead from his crown of thorns, and the cut in his side caused by a Roman spear. The woman in blue is obviously Mary, mother of Jesus. She has fainted from her apparent grief over the death of her son. In her fall, her body has the same shape as her son's, implying that she shares her son’s agony. The skull and bones depicted on the foreground reminds us that we are looking at Golgotha, the Mount of Skulls.
3. The two alter pieces are different in many ways. While one depicts a more serene scene the other depicts a moment of utter sorrow. The moment that is about to transpire wherein Mary finds out she is to be the mother of Christ is deeply contrasted by the second altarpiece in which Mary has passed out due to the gravity of seeing her son die in such a manner. They also differ in the way that both artists choose to add background imagery. One artist uses the background objects to add weight and meaning to the main scene. As well as to foreshadow aspects of Christs life; where as in the altarpiece Deposition of Christ the artist uses the background imagery to further describe where the figures are set and to convey the events that have already happened.
4. Both make good use of background details. In each altarpiece the artist has used background details to enhance the overall tone of the piece. In Merode the use of the background images add depth and meaning to the scene such as the tools and how they connect to pieces of Christ’s life, also the use of different things that highlight the virginity of Mary. By adding the little touches of bones and a man holding the nails, Weyden adds to the weight of the scene being depicted. The two pieces also have color choices in common, both artists chose to use vibrant, bold colors in the clothes for the people being depicted. Throughout both pieces Mary mother of Christ is depicted wearing a bold color, in one she wears the typical virginal blue and in the other she dons a red gown, both depictions add a bold splash of color to the depiction.
5.
The Merode altarpiece utilizes three dimensional space and color. One way it demonstrates the element of three dimensional space is through the use of layers, for example, in the center panel Mary and the angel are in the foreground with fireplace in a second layer, and finally the windows, baby Christ, and walls in the background. By utilizing these layers the artist creates the illusion of a three dimensional space. This can also be seen in the last panel with Joseph in his workshop, the placement of the log and tools as well as the inclusion of the village just visible through the open window. The use of color hue is also present. Although Mary is dressed in a bold color, the angel stands out due to the hue used in his robe. By contrasting the white of Gabriel’s robe next to the red vibrancy of Mary’s dress it creates the illusion of Gabriel glowing in holy
light.
6. The altarpiece Deposition, has a composition of intensity that is exacerbated by the display of diagonals. The angle of Jesus’s body and how it is draped around Joseph create angles of the body being taken down from the cross. This is also shown in the way the cloth is draped around the body the angles of the body and the cloth creates the sense that the body has been moved. Texture is also used in this piece. An example of this is seen in the clothes Mary, mother of Jesus, is wearing, the lines, shadows and color used creates a feeling that the clothes have weight to them, by the draping, and fold of the fabric on the figure the artist mimics the way linen or cotton would be worn.
7. The purpose of The Deposition is to convey the grief and sorry accompanying the death of Christ, by packing the figures into such a small space the artist creates an almost sculpted feel to the piece. The figures seem to draw the viewer in as well as jump off the wood. The piece, in its depiction evokes in the viewer the motions felt I the moment being represented. The piece is the epitome of Flemish art culture and what was so admired by the English. Due to the raw emotions so accurately evoked Flemish works of art were duplicated and highly influential on English artists of the time. Thus ensuring such works as very significant cultural pieces.
Cultural significance of the Merode altarpiece lies in the fact that the piece contains detailed observation and rich imagery. The style of Netherlands artists focused on the depiction of a holy event with domestic imagery. The purpose of the piece is to reinterpret the holy event being depicted in a way that is more relatable by the public. Most of the viewers at the time would have been more familiar with the domestic touches added to the piece and thus feel a closer connection to the artwork itself.
The second piece is Merode Altarpiece created by Robert Campin the piece as a whole measures 25 3/8 x 46 3/8 in, it is located Tournai, South Netherlands and the medium used is also oil on oak panel.
2. In the first panel of the Merode altarpiece a messenger is depicted on his knees seeming to be looking into the room depicted in the center panel. Behind the messenger is a woman kneeling and a guard towards the wall. There seems to be a wall around the house and plenty of plant life. The colors used are bright and reminiscent of springtime. The roses are in bloom, a blue sky and bird perched on the tops of the wall. In the second and center panel there are two people, the Virgin Mary and the angel Gabriel. There are also plenty of things in the panel hinting at the virgin’s divinity such as white lilies, the vessel of water and the white towel, the small windows at the side of the room …show more content…
create a feeling of claustrophobia but it might indicate Mary’s virginity. There is also an image of a child with a cross in the light coming in from the window possibly representing the sacrifice of Christ. In the last panel Joseph is depicted in his workshop there are the tools of his trade all around him and they all have a symbolic attachment to the life of Christ. Such as the saw which refers to peter cutting off the ear of the high priest’s servant, the log alludes to the crucifixion as does the nails, hammers, chisels, pliers and screwdrivers. The meaning of the mouse-trap on Joseph's table remains obscure, and many artists and critics argue what it symbolizes.
The second altarpiece is the Deposition of Christ, there are ten people depicted in the scene. In the center is the body of Jesus as it is taken down from the cross. The body is being helped down by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus. The woman on the left is Mary Magdalene, known by her low-cut dress. The body of Christ clearly shows the wounds inflicted during crucifixion the holes in his hand and feet, the blood on his forehead from his crown of thorns, and the cut in his side caused by a Roman spear. The woman in blue is obviously Mary, mother of Jesus. She has fainted from her apparent grief over the death of her son. In her fall, her body has the same shape as her son's, implying that she shares her son’s agony. The skull and bones depicted on the foreground reminds us that we are looking at Golgotha, the Mount of Skulls.
3. The two alter pieces are different in many ways. While one depicts a more serene scene the other depicts a moment of utter sorrow. The moment that is about to transpire wherein Mary finds out she is to be the mother of Christ is deeply contrasted by the second altarpiece in which Mary has passed out due to the gravity of seeing her son die in such a manner. They also differ in the way that both artists choose to add background imagery. One artist uses the background objects to add weight and meaning to the main scene. As well as to foreshadow aspects of Christs life; where as in the altarpiece Deposition of Christ the artist uses the background imagery to further describe where the figures are set and to convey the events that have already happened.
4. Both make good use of background details. In each altarpiece the artist has used background details to enhance the overall tone of the piece. In Merode the use of the background images add depth and meaning to the scene such as the tools and how they connect to pieces of Christ’s life, also the use of different things that highlight the virginity of Mary. By adding the little touches of bones and a man holding the nails, Weyden adds to the weight of the scene being depicted. The two pieces also have color choices in common, both artists chose to use vibrant, bold colors in the clothes for the people being depicted. Throughout both pieces Mary mother of Christ is depicted wearing a bold color, in one she wears the typical virginal blue and in the other she dons a red gown, both depictions add a bold splash of color to the depiction.
5.
The Merode altarpiece utilizes three dimensional space and color. One way it demonstrates the element of three dimensional space is through the use of layers, for example, in the center panel Mary and the angel are in the foreground with fireplace in a second layer, and finally the windows, baby Christ, and walls in the background. By utilizing these layers the artist creates the illusion of a three dimensional space. This can also be seen in the last panel with Joseph in his workshop, the placement of the log and tools as well as the inclusion of the village just visible through the open window. The use of color hue is also present. Although Mary is dressed in a bold color, the angel stands out due to the hue used in his robe. By contrasting the white of Gabriel’s robe next to the red vibrancy of Mary’s dress it creates the illusion of Gabriel glowing in holy
light.
6. The altarpiece Deposition, has a composition of intensity that is exacerbated by the display of diagonals. The angle of Jesus’s body and how it is draped around Joseph create angles of the body being taken down from the cross. This is also shown in the way the cloth is draped around the body the angles of the body and the cloth creates the sense that the body has been moved. Texture is also used in this piece. An example of this is seen in the clothes Mary, mother of Jesus, is wearing, the lines, shadows and color used creates a feeling that the clothes have weight to them, by the draping, and fold of the fabric on the figure the artist mimics the way linen or cotton would be worn.
7. The purpose of The Deposition is to convey the grief and sorry accompanying the death of Christ, by packing the figures into such a small space the artist creates an almost sculpted feel to the piece. The figures seem to draw the viewer in as well as jump off the wood. The piece, in its depiction evokes in the viewer the motions felt I the moment being represented. The piece is the epitome of Flemish art culture and what was so admired by the English. Due to the raw emotions so accurately evoked Flemish works of art were duplicated and highly influential on English artists of the time. Thus ensuring such works as very significant cultural pieces.
Cultural significance of the Merode altarpiece lies in the fact that the piece contains detailed observation and rich imagery. The style of Netherlands artists focused on the depiction of a holy event with domestic imagery. The purpose of the piece is to reinterpret the holy event being depicted in a way that is more relatable by the public. Most of the viewers at the time would have been more familiar with the domestic touches added to the piece and thus feel a closer connection to the artwork itself.