The Merode Alterpiece, by Robert Campin, is an example of dipicting a biblical event happened in the artist's contemnporary setting. Mary was sitting in a comfortable Flemish home, absorbed in reading. For a long time, I was puzzled by this kind of arrangements. What are the thoughts and intention behind it? Does it mean to bring the viewers closer to the situation of the figures and make them connect to God more easily? What if we see a painting of Mary sitting in a modern apartment, wearing a pair of jeans, and working in front of a computer when an angel doing Annuciation?
At first, I thought it's quite odd to portray Mary in a way a thousand years out of her time and thousand miles from her own place. It's too "unrealistic" , though the artist was using virtuoso technique to show details and accuracy. After thinking of some possibilities, I don't have an obvious answer to the question. But it might be what the artists want us to do- to think over about their works. A great piece of art can evoke interactions between the artists and viewers and inspire viewers to explore the multiple layers of meaning in it.
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