The goldsmith made a reflective object, but Van Eyck has made the light itself. Everything is so clear and sharp, now we see it as Van Eyck painted it. The real meaning of the Ghent altarpiece, for its creator, is not religious. What Van Eyck does, too, is to declare the freedom of art – and the godlike power of painting. Jan van Eyck has preserved this moment by an act of wizardry.

Source: The Guardian January 29, 2020 11:02 UTC