Jan van Eyck Triptych of Mary and Child, St. Michael, and the Catherin

This painting displays Archangel Michael and Donor on the left, Mary and Christ in the middle, as well as St. Catherine on the right. These three panels make this painting a triptych. A triptych can be defined as a set of three panels that are attached to one another, and sometimes are able to be folded or shut like a set of doors. Within this triptych, we can see Mary holding Christ in the center panel, where they are placed at the altar of this cathedral setting. This could be structured to ensure the viewer's attention goes to the middle where Mary and Christ are sitting.

Triptych

While this painting generally uses strong linear perspective, we are able to see all of the orthogonals (lines--whether real or implied--that are used to create a sense of space in the image) converge at a single point, making this an example of one-point perspective. The point of convergence is definitely implied, which we can assume sits right above Mary's head. We can find this point by following the carpeting on the floor, the archways and walls of the cathedral, and the pillars that line the sides. This technique of one-point perspective could have been used to draw attention to Mary and Christ in the center panel and make these holy figures the focal point of the painting.

One-point perspective

This painting is a great example of featuring iconography, which is where a certain figure who is famously recognized is featured, giving a deeper understanding to the painting. If one weren't knowledgeable about the Christian faith, they might not recognize that this is The Virgin Mary holding Christ. Those who do recognize Mary and Christ will understand more about this painting, including the religious space they are set in as well as the figures on both side panels of this triptych.

Iconography

Mary's clothing is one of many examples of strong modeling in this painting, which is a technique where the artist uses a range of values (shadows and highlights, also known as chiaroscuro) of a specific color to create what looks like a three-dimensional figure. Mary is wearing a red draping robe that has many folds and creases in it, making it look like there is a set of legs protruding towards us. The use of modeling can also be seen in the Donor's figure (kneeling on the left), where his clothing has the same painted technique to make the viewers assume there is a sense of space created within the clothing and its draping.

Modeling

The placement of Christ in this triptych is very important because it represents transubstantiation, which is the implied transformation of Christ's body turning into bread, which is distributed during Communion within the Catholic religion. Given that Christ is seated at the altar in this painting, we can assume that there was implied transubstantiation here since the bread of communion is commonly broken at the altar. We see transubstantiation of Christ quite frequently in renaissance art because the Christian faith was a major part of life at this time.

Transubstantiation

Summary/Overview

This oil painting on panel was made my Jan van Eyck in 1437, and is titled the Dresden Triptych. Within it features Mary and Christ in the middle panel, Archangel Michael and the Donor on the left panel, and St. Catherine on the right panel. Jan van Eyck is known for his skill in oil paintings at the time, which we have seen in his previous paintings. This triptych highlights his extreme skill in using oil paint, which can be seen in the intricate details of the architecture as well as the decorated figures. We also see a great use of space and perspective here, where the mathematics used to make this look three-dimensional are used properly. Unlike many artists at the time, we see realism and life within the figures in this painting, mostly due to his use of modeling and forshortening. We can also see prominent figures at the time, most obviously including Mary and Christ (as well as the saint and angel featured, as well). While this is not one of his most famous paintings, the Dresden Triptych falls nothing short of displaying his extreme talent and well-respected reputation throughout Northern Europe at the time.