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Adoration Of The Lamb By Jan Van Eyck

Decent Essays

Don Malarkey
2-9-12
Significance of the Lamb

The Adoration of the Lamb is Jan Van Eyck’s greatest accomplishments of a Renaissance painter. It was painted with oils in the third decade of the 15th century (Glover). This painting definitely has a lot going on in it. The painting is consisted of twelve panels where the outside panels can either be closed or open. There are many spiritual aspects in the painting; from the Holy family, Mary, Joseph, and Jesus; to Adam, Eve, and plenty of saints. The representation of these earthly and otherworldly figures shows the aspects of this world and the next. The lower middle piece physically reflects this with the horizon as the divider between the worlds. The saints and other peoples on the …show more content…

The Last supper represents the first celebration of this sacrifice that is now a key part to every mass. That is why it was so important to show Jesus twice in these paintings.
The two time depiction of Christ was, traditional in how it represents the mass. A closer look at the Lamb shows its blood streaming into a chalice. The blood of the Lamb corresponds to Jesus bleeding on the cross during his Passion. The blood is a physical representation of the sacrifice that Jesus made for us. This blood is drunk during mass after the wine is turned into the true blood of Christ. Jesus also made note of this during the last supper when he told his disciples to drink the wine which represents his blood.
The Lamb is the central piece in Van Eyck’s masterpiece. It is located in the center of the main bottom panel. Everyone is gathered around the Lamb, either on their knees praying or looking reverently at it. The angels form an inner circle around the altar, while the apostles and prophets form an outer half-circle around it. Even the rays of heaven are shining down upon the Lamb. The angels and the sun rays shining upon the Lamb notes how everlasting this worship is. It is not affected by time. The eye is naturally drawn to this center piece of the altar and the lamb.
Jesus is depicted as a lamb on the altar. There are many references to Jesus being the Lamb of God. John the Baptist is

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