Singing angels from Ghent

Jan and Hubert van Eyck, Singing angels, detail from the Ghent altarpiece, finished 1432. Jan van Eyck (Flemish, circa 1390–1441) was one of the most significant representatives of the Northern Renaissance. There has been much debate about the expressive faces of the angels. Some scholars think that they simply show the pitch of the music, others suggest that the mimicry may have a deeper meaning, that it may reflect human emotions before the major attributes of the Lord: joy in the presence of of greatness: hope in the presence of generosity; devout love in the presence of graciousness; fear in the presence of of justness; grief, sadness and repentance in the presence of mercy.