Merode Triptych Analysis

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The Merode Triptych was a painting created in the fifteenth century around the year 1425 by Robert Campin. The painting is one of the “most celebrated early Netherlandish paintings – particularly for its detailed observation, rich imagery and superb condition” (Annunciation Triptych). The origin of this work is the Netherlands. The name of this picture “derives from an early owner of the painting, but the subject of the central panel is the annunciation, frequently depicted in earlier Christian art” (Davies 477). During the fifteenth century the hinged panels called diptychs and triptychs were used as altar pieces that had religious events depicted on them. Panel painting came to the forefront and artists “worked with liquid pigments on wooden panels” (Davies 479).
The technique of oil painting was used for the Merode Tyiptych which gave the artist the advantage to be able to rework his painting (Davies 479). The oil painting allowed Campin to paint bright colors and have smooth transitions from light to dark (Davies 477). The type of wood that the painters used was different from region to region. In Northern Europe, oak panels were preferred due to “be sawn into thin planks to serve s supports for the paint” (Davies 479). …show more content…
Campin wanted the viewer to have a sense “of actually looking through the surface of the panel into a world that mimics reality” (Davies 479). This piece is influential because during this time period many representations of the Annunciation were depicted in “ecclesiastical buildings or other sacred space” (Davies 477). Campin uses several different techniques to create this effect. He “fits the objects and figures into boxes of space aligned with the parts of the triptych” (Davies
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