解谜扬·凡·艾克

Jan van Eyck (ca. 1390–1441), heralded as the founder of early Netherlandish painting, is renowned for his miraculous depictions of the natural world in oil paint that changed the course of western European painting. The Crucifixion and Last Judgment by van Eyck entered the Metropolitan Museum in 1933, and they have been the focus of constant study ever since. Admittedly, they are unusual in many ways for the oeuvre of Jan van Eyck and a significant number of mysteries have remained unsolved. For example, what was their original appearance and function? Were they always joined as a diptych (as we see them today), the wings of a triptych, or perhaps the doors of a tabernacle or reliquary shrine? Are the biblical texts in pastiglia that embellish the inner coves of the original frames Van Eyck’s concept or later additions? The reconsideration of these questions is the result of new technical examinations of the paintings and their frames. Our aim is to discover Van Eyck’s art—its facture, meaning, and function—within the context of its own time, and with particular regard to the circumstances of the commission. The challenging question to keep in mind is to what extent Jan van Eyck would necessarily engage different pictorial strategies – including varied spatial concepts, compositional modes, and figural expression – in order to serve the narrative and even the iconic essence of the image. Unravelling these mysteries enables a deeper understanding and appreciation of the paintings for modern viewers.