Lux, 2019, depicts a detail from Jan van Eyck’s Madonna of Chancellor Rollin c.1435. Set within an ornate loggia, it shows the Chancellor on the left and the Virgin Mary...
Lux, 2019, depicts a detail from Jan van Eyck’s Madonna of Chancellor Rollin c.1435. Set within an ornate loggia, it shows the Chancellor on the left and the Virgin Mary on the right, crowned by a hovering angel while presenting the infant Jesus. A central portico reveals an abundant landscape of hazed mountains, steep hills, and a detailed city, all converging at a winding river stopped short by two onlookers on a bridge. A small garden just before the columned entrance brings us closer to the naturalism of this optical experience while acting as a barrier between the real and spiritual worlds. Two side windows add to the complexity of light within the interior, a symbol of divine illumination. The grid of the checkerboard accentuates the symmetry of van Eyck’s composition while blocking out alternating portions of the image. Highlighting the opening landscape while obscuring the outer edges of the grid creates a vignette effect. Another layer of depth is introduced between the viewer and this mystical event. The scene becomes voyeuristic and the grid becomes a window in itself.