Jan van Eyck Singing angels Ghent CC0974 Postcard

Postcard inspired by the beautiful Ghent altarpiece, created by Flemish artist Jan van Eyck (circa 1390–1441) and his brother Hubert. The picture shows the detail of the angel choir, with focus on the very expressive faces of the eight singers. 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.