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. This particular image reveals the central panel in the lower register of the interior, which appears when the altarpiece is open. The five panels of the lower register depict the community of saints traveling from the four corners of the earth to partake in the Adoration of the Lamb. In this image, the largest panel, the Lamb is shown on the altar bleeding into a chalice, thus symbolizing the sacrifice of the Son of God. Connections to the Eucharist were further enhanced by allusions to the Trinity and Baptism along the central axis. On the left side of the baptismal font stand Old Testament prophets, and the twelve apostles and a group of martyrs in red appear on the right. To the left and right of the altar are processions of the holy confessors and virgin martyrs respectively. Jan van Eyck’s unique style is exemplified in minute details of the vegetation and far-off buildings as well as the convincing representation of various textures. ; interior approx. 11' 6'' x 15'