Detail of the Annunciation
Beeld © Sint-Baafskathedraal Gent, www.lukasweb.be – Art in Flanders, foto Hugo Maertens en Dominique Provost
Van Eyck has depicted this glimpse of medieval Ghent with a real sense of spaciousness. Among other things, the rhythmic play of
the red roofs create depth. The same rhythm can be found in the work of Max Lamb or Lionel Jadot.
The roof tiles and the walls are lifelike, even tangible. You could almost forget that they are brushstrokes. Designers such as Buro Belén do exactly the same: faithfully rendering materials with the help of other materials.
In Van Eyck’s time, kermes was the most expensive red pigment. It was extracted from the scale insect Kermes vermilio, which lives off the Mediterranean kermes oak. Only rich people could afford red garments. Kermes is also called crimson, scarlet red,
or vermillion.