The first oil based triptych
Robert Campin was commissioned to draw the Merode Altarpiece for private use.
The use of oil paint
[object Object]
The Mérode Altarpiece, created by Robert Campin in the early 15th century, is a triptych that showcases a detailed and intimate scene of the Annunciation. It features the Virgin Mary and the Angel Gabriel in a domestic setting, highlighting the significance of the moment with symbolic elements, such as the lilies representing purity. The use of vibrant colors and meticulous attention to texture and light enhances its realism. Additionally, the altarpiece is notable for its innovative use of perspective and the inclusion of the donors in the side panels, linking the sacred narrative to the contemporary viewer.
A focus on daily life. ( apex )
Robert Campin was commissioned to draw the Merode Altarpiece for private use.
Oil Painting
The use of oil paint
The Merode Altarpiece by Robert Camping is an outstanding triptych of Northern Renaissance style. The figures in this triptych are based on real world observation, as opposed to science and math that were used to create paintings in the Italian Renaissance.
The use of oil paint :D
The use of oil paint
Robert Campin, often regarded as the first major painter of the Northern Renaissance, is significant for his innovative use of oil paint and his detailed, realistic representation of subjects. His most famous work, the "Merode Altarpiece," showcases his mastery of perspective, light, and texture, as well as a keen attention to domestic life and religious themes. Campin's techniques and styles influenced later artists, helping to establish the distinctive characteristics of Northern European painting. His work marks a transition from medieval styles to the more naturalistic approaches that characterized the Renaissance.
Personal salvation
The Merode Altarpiece is a triptych: a work of art in three separate sections meant to be displayed together. In this case it is three paintings in oil on wood panels, set into a hinged frame. It was painted by Robert Campin and/or members of his workshop in the early 15th century, with possible additions by a later hand. The triptych was possibly commissioned for display in a private chapel by wealthy donors, who are depicted in the left hand panel, as a display of their piety. It was also a display of their wealth that they could afford to comission such a painting. The central and right hand panels show the Annunciation and Joseph working in a shop creating mousetraps, symbols of the Incarnation as God's method of trapping the devil. The images are rich with additional symbolism. The original is in the Cloisters, part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Robert Campin's Mérode Altarpiece was an early example of Northern Renaissance art, known for its intricate details, realism, and incorporation of symbolic elements. It emphasized naturalism and domestic settings, reflecting a shift towards humanism and religious devotion in art during the 15th century.
[object Object]
Robert Campin died in 1444.