Detail of the Holy Spirit descending from heaven

The dove symbolizes the Holy Spirit in the Christian faith. In the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, you see it descending to earth in an aureole. Van Eyck undoubtedly took his inspiration from a halo, a circle of light around the sun.
This type of halo is created by light refraction: ice crystals in the atmosphere split the light into different colours. Contemporary designers also make use of these kinds of effects. Refraction plays a central role in, among others, the work of Patricia Urquiola. The characteristic colour gradients, obtained by working with multiple layers of oil paint, recur in the designs of Germans Ermičs and nendo.