The Merode Altarpiece
The Merode Altarpiece is one of the great masterpieces of Northern Renaissance art by the Early Netherlandish painter Robert Campin (1375 – 26 April 1444). He is well known as the Master of Flemalle and he is the founders of the art of oil painting in the Netherlands. Robert Campin was born in 1375 and became a citizen of Tournai in 1410. He made a living from painting banners and receiving commissions from the city government, churches and from rich citizens.
Campin’s major work, The Merode Altarpiece is not one painting. It is three paintings connected by hinges so that triptychs could open and close. This is great example of Northern Renaissance. This art piece is relatively small and portable object. This was made for someone’s private home.
This beautiful Altarpiece illustrates the moment when the Gabriel announces to the Virgin Mary that she has been chosen by God to be the mother of Christ. I was fascinated by this piece how Campin transfer a supernatural event from a symbolic setting to an everyday environment through paintings. This painting is incredibly beautiful, with marvelous colors, textures and technique of oil painting.
The left panel the donors who commissioned the altarpiece kneeling as he witnessed the annunciation in the central panel. Central panel of Campin’s Merode triptych, there is much symbolism in this panel. The flame is a symbol of God. A new shape of God is already on its way. The lily on the table has three flowers, two open, one about to bloom. This represents The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
There are so many detail on this piece although there are couple of detail I want to point out and this is one that caught my eyes. There is a little tiny image of CHRIST surfing down on the little golden sunrays wears cross on his back heading right to Mary. This truly appears that Christ Jesus is heading to virgin Mary’s womb. A new shape of God is already on its way to the world. The two books represent the old and new testaments. The panel on the right, Joseph is shown in his carpenter’s shop. He is making a mousetraps with the tools. This tools have a religious symbol of the Passion of Christ. It is very interesting that the way the window shutters are put away above the Joseph’s ceiling and whole Flemealle city is showing behind the Joseph’s back.
I have notice that there is a structure problem. In Italy by this time linear perspective was understood but There is no linear perspective. The figures are too large for the room and it is packed with objects. The information conveys that Northern Renaissance has different realism that based on a discovery of the world and of the self.
http://smarthistory.khanacademy.org/Campin.html
kimnanook 
I absolutely agree with how you describe how Campin took this spiritual event and made it very human, something that the everyday person could relate to. I too love the feeling of this painting. With the use of color and the shadowing that he does it really brings this painting to life.