One of the Most Intricate Paintings Ever Made

Jan Van Eyck’s outstanding Virgin and Child

Madonna with Canon van der Paele (1434–1436) by Jan van Eyck. Oil on panel. 124.5 × 160 cm. Groeningemuseum, Bruges, Belgium. Image source Wikimedia Commons

Let me draw your attention to two details in this almost unbelievable painting by the Flemish artist Jan van Eyck, made around 1436.

The painting shows the Virgin Mary and the Christ Child sitting on a large throne, flanked by two pillars where on top are shown a pair of carvings.

Details of ‘Madonna with Canon van der Paele’ (1434–1436) by Jan van Eyck. Oil on panel. 124.5 × 160 cm. Groeningemuseum, Bruges, Belgium. Image source Wikimedia Commons

Both carvings adopt a similar form: a robed man hunched over a prostrate creature, a man in one case, a lion in the other.

Before looking at their meaning, just take a moment to consider the virtuosity of these small painted figures, how for instance the sheen of the material catches the light with such convincing detail, and how the carvings blend so seamlessly with the wider setting of the picture, thereby giving them such a realistic form.

Here’s the full painting again, as a reminder of how the carved figures are but a small detail in a tremendously complex work.