The Ghent Altarpiece by Jan van Eyck: Composition of the Work. Divine and Human Perspective

The key problem of the Ghent Altarpiece is the problem of organizing space. It depicts both the space of our world and the space of the sacred world. One space relates to the space in which the viewer of the painting is located (i.e., the external observer in relation to the image): it belongs to our world. It is contrasted with another space, belonging to a different, otherworldly realm: it relates to the position of the internal observer, who is implied within the image itself. Thus, the heavenly world and the earthly world are shown together here, united in one image. The corresponding opposition can be traced in both the open and closed altarpiece, but it manifests differently in each case. In the open altarpiece, it is expressed perspectively (through the use of a particular viewer's position), while in the closed altarpiece, it is stylistically (through special artistic means, primarily the color palette). An analysis of the Ghent Altarpiece allows for the demonstration of the complex theological content of this work. It is a kind of theological treatise, the reading of which implies the identification of a special "language".