The Most Breathtaking Image of Mary as Queen: Van Eyke’s Mary

Van Eyck’s Ghent Altarpiece has, within it, my absolute favorite artistic representation of Mary (above). When I think of Mary as Queen of Heaven, which I certainly do today, August 22, this image comes to mind. It is one of 12 framed oak panels that makes up the whole 17 x 12 feet Ghent altarpiece. 

This is the most famous (not even a dispute about it) oil painting in the world. For art historians it is significant, because of its use of oil in the early Renaissance and the level of mind blowing photographic detail. It is also the most stolen painting in the world. Hitler was the last to steal it during World War II. Located in a salt mine in Austria, it was nearly incinerated by a bomb blast but was saved by the United States army. The film, Monuments Men was inspired in part by this true story. 

The panel that features Mary is overshadowed by the more famous center panel of the Mystic Lamb. Mary seated at the right hand of the triune God, is young and beautiful, her garments adorned with gems and jewels. She wears a deep velvet royal blue dress with a golden hem and a matching mantle. 

She is crowned with a magnificent bejeweled gold crown. The red garnets stand out. They are the same jewel used on the breastplate of the high priest for Mary, Joseph and Jesus' tribe of Judah. The flowers on her crown are fresh and real and at the same time take a prominent spot in between the jewels. These four flowers all mean something and say something about Mary. The lilies speak of her virginal purity and the columbines point to her humility. The lily-of-the valley calls to mind Song of Songs 2:1,

“I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys. Like a lily among thorns is my darling among the maidens. Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest is my lover among the young men. I delight to sit in his shade, and his fruit is sweet to my taste”.

Catholic tradition holds that the Song of Song’s or Solomon’s bride stands for Mary. On the deepest layer of allegorical meaning it points to Mary as the bride of the Holy Spirit.

Hovering behind her crown are the 12 stars which call to mind the woman clothed with the sun and standing on a moon. Revelation 12 goes on to say she had a crown of 12 stars. Those 12 stars signify the 12 tribes of Israel as well as the 12 apostles. That number 12 means she is the mother and queen over all of God’s people. ‘A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head’ (Rev 12:1).

She is busy reading from a small prayer book. Her mouth is slightly open as if she were reading aloud. Books like this were not yet in existence when Mary lived. The artist must know this but it says something of the timelessness of a young queen Mary who, in this painting, is outside of time. Mary is the primordial catechist who taught Jesus the Jewish traditions and how to read and write.

There's a unicorn pattern behind her on the textile covering her throne representing the incarnation of Christ, a symbol of purity and grace that could be captured only by a virgin. A banner below the unicorn has the name ‘Christus Jesus’ in Greek.

If you are interested in examining this painting and the rest of the altarpiece close up there is a website called ‘Closer to Van Eyck’.  Click on the link and then just keep clicking on the image to zoom in...Its magnification feature allows for a close up to the most minute details to the point where you can see the brush strokes. The photographic enlargement capacity is captured in 100 million pixels. Individual letters are seen in the book she is holding beginning with a blue M. Single strands of hair are seen glistening in the light and her eyes are reminiscent of the close up of the eyes of Mary on the Tilma of Gaudalupe.

Take some time to marvel at the Queen close up today as a meditation in honor of the August 22, Memorial of the Queenship of Mary.