Artwork

Copy of a detail of the Ghent Altarpiece, The Hermits, by Hubert and Jan van Eyck in the church of St. Bavon, Ghent.

Copy of a detail of the Ghent Altarpiece, The Hermits, by Hubert and Jan van Eyck in the church of St. Bavon, Ghent. is a watercolor work on paper by the Impressionist artist Christian Schultz. It dates from 1864 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. This watercolour painting is a copy of a detail from the Ghent Altarpiece, a 15th-century work by Hubert and Jan van Eyck.

About this work

Overview

This watercolour painting is a copy of a detail from the Ghent Altarpiece, a 15th-century work by Hubert and Jan van Eyck. Created in 1864 by Christian Schultz, it depicts a scene of figures in a garden.

Subject & Meaning

The painting shows a group of people in a garden, with a central figure in a red robe holding a child, surrounded by onlookers in simple attire. The scene is set against a backdrop of trees and a bright sky with flying birds.

Technique & Style

Executed in watercolour, this work is softer and more subdued than the original oil painting. Schultz's copy simplifies the detail from the Ghent Altarpiece, translating the original's dense, detailed style into a more delicate medium.

History & Provenance

Commissioned by the Arundel Society, the watercolour was created in 1864 and published in 1869 under Schultz's supervision by Hangard-Mauge.