Jan van Eyck is famous for mastering the technique of oil painting and his meticulously detailed style inspired many other artists, during his own lifetime as well as during later centuries. One of the best examples of his particular style, often described as exhibiting a “microscopic-telescopic vision,” is the Altarpiece of the Lamb or Ghent Altarpiece produced by Jan and his brother Hubert. This monumental polyptych is typical of the large-scale public altarpieces commonly found in chapels, which served as backdrops for the Mass. In addition to their ability to awaken devotion, these artworks were also didactic tools and they visually explained some of the complex theological concepts related to the Mass ritual. This work, one of the largest and most admired altarpieces produced in fifteenth-century Flanders, fulfills both of these functions and its sophisticated theological symbolism is characteristic of van Eyck’s works. The entire altarpiece offers an intricate portrayal of the whole Christian cycle, from the Fall to the Redemption. The exterior, which appears when the shutters are closed, depicts the donors in humble prayer before John the Baptist and John the Evangelist in the lowest register, a typical Annunciation scene in the central register, and ancient figures believed to have prophesied of Christ in the uppermost arches. This particular image portrays one of the central panels in the middle register that depicts a low-ceilinged interior. The remarkably detailed view of a Netherlandish city in the distance suggests that the angel entered the chamber from the outside world. ; exterior approx. 11' 6'' x 7' 6''