Jan van Eyck was a master in style and symbolism, establishing a firm superiority in glaze technique and delicately and elaborately applying subtle, yet powerful religious references to what at first glance may seem simple portraits.
Van Eyck's drawing, Saint Barbara, completed in 1437, is an example of the artist's use of fictional exotic or Romanesque style structures, suggestive of those from the Old Testament. (p.99 textbook) Other symbolism includes the walled city that resembles a ziggurat, and on the church, the three windows on the second level, feature the Trinity, the symbolism of their octagonal structure, and baptism.
Use of religious symbolism can be traced in other Van Eyck works. Madonna in the Church, a panel dating to around 1437-38, uses light to represent Mary's purity and purpose. "She is the brightness of eternal light and the unspotted mirror of God's majesty." This was a passage from the Book of Wisdom and can be found inscribed on Mary's red dress.......

Join Now to view the rest of this term paper!
Members: Login to view this research paper.

Title: Ian Van Eyck
Approximate Word Count: 617
Approximate Pages: 3 (250 words per double-spaced page)

With the Term Papers Lab Membership Pass, you get instant access to every essay on this site, including this essay on Ian Van Eyck, for as long as you remain a member.

Other essays sites charge almost $100 for a single term paper. At Term Papers Lab, you can get instant access to over 100,000 research papers for as little as $29.95!