Washington's Annunciation by Jan Van Eyck

In a time where art and architecture were once again changing, from the Northern Renaissance emerged a painter who would lead in his texturing of oil paint, and his masterful display of light. Jan Van Eyck painted with his brother Hubert until Hubert’s early death while working on the Ghent Altarpiece. Jan and his workshop finished the great work, and Jan continued with his endeavors and painted many great works in his remaining years.

The piece that struck the deepest resonating chord with me was Washington’s Annunciation. In view of this great work many details would immediately be noticed. The seven rays of divine light possessed no shadow whereas the natural lighting of the painting did. The folding of the robes of the Virgin strongly resembles the folds of the cloth in the Ghent Altarpiece. The architecture is mixed in rounded Romanesque columns and slightly pointed Gothic construction. There is a strong marriage of past and present not only in the architecture but in the message itself. Presented are both elements of Old and New Testament. The stories chosen from the Old Testament are those directly relative to the coming of the Christ. There are elements of the Zodiac present as well. The entire painting marries time in past present and present future scopes.

The ill repaired boards in the higher ceiling of the painting are unlike the architecture of the other Van Eyck works. Just like every other well-articulated element in this painting, there is significant meaning to be found in these broken boards. They further state a transition from old law to new law; from old structure to new structure.

Another significant juxtaposition in the message of the painting comes in the dialogue of the Archangel Gabriel and the Virgin Mary. As the archangel addresses the Virgin, the words are painted to be read from the viewer’s perspective (a human view). The humble words that the Virgin responds with however are painted upside down therefore only able to be viewed by God Himself.

This painting is riddled with message, and articulated in its complex layers of detail. There are seven rays of golden, divine light signifying the seven graces given to the Blessed Virgin. The absence of shadow ornately states this light to be of the ethereal realm. It entrances the viewer and encourages translation.

In the time of Van Eyck’s life, the emergence from the Dark Ages into a time of Reformation had further altered the profession of one’s beliefs through art. The return to classical elements did not erase the need for symbolism and only seemed to enhance it. Movement was being made from Judaism to Christianity; from Romanesque to Gothic; from darkly symbolic works to well-lit and meaning filled layers of oil paint, richly textured to offer depth.

The most astounding element I encountered was the existence of tools that art historians can now use to unveil layers of shadow paint beneath the surface of the existing work of art. For all the complexity of this piece so much more must be translated when one studies the shadow layers that happened in the making of such a great work of art.

The overall meaning of Washington’s Annunciation, shadow layers included, seems to represent a progression from old to new. It is multi-faceted yet all elements seem to point in the direction of this movement. With the representation of older architecture perfectly and artistically married to new architecture, we see the progression of the building around him at that time. However, when you consider the transitional elements that are represented in perfect harmony between the Old and New Testament, it seems actual that both the architecture and the story are married in perfect purpose to represent transition. Furthermore is seems safe to assume that the grand design is to show Christ’s supremacy over the Devil; the transition from Old Testament Judaism to New Testament Christianity; and to harmonize all of it with the changing of the era around Jan Van Eyck through the transition of the architecture.

Jan Van Eyck may be remembered for his skill as a painter, for his masterful brush strokes, or his spectacular display of light with oil paints, but I will always be entranced by his symbolism and the layers of his purpose filled message.