In my previous post I briefly mentioned that Jan Van Eyck doubled up the image of Joan of Arc in the Just Judges panel of the Ghent Altarpiece with the English king Richard II. So why would he do this?

Both Joan and Richard were born on the same date, January 6, the twelfth day of Christmas which is celebrated as the Feast of the Epiphany.

Richard is associated with the date in another sense, a rebellion known as the Epiphany Rising. In January 1400, loyal supporters failed in their attempt to reinstall Richard as king after his throne was usurped by Henry Bolingbroke (Henry IV).

Van Eyck continued with the Joan and Richard Epiphany link in the Singing Angels panel to extend the narrative started in the Just Judges section about Henry Beaufort having fathered an illegitimate daughter. Proof of the mother’s identity has never been satisfactory established, although one name is a popular choice of speculation among historians: Alice Charleton (nee Fitzalan) daughter of Richard Fitzalan, 4th Earl of Arundel. Alice’s father fell foul of Richard II during his reign. He was put on trial and executed by beheading.

Below is an image of the famous Wilton Diptych, currently on loan to the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford from London‘s National Gallery, Although the museum provides extensive coverage about the diptych at its website, there is no mention of its connection to the Ghent Altarpiece and, in particular, how it inspired the Joan and Richard connection in the Just Judges and Singing Angels panels.

The Epiphany is celebrated as the occasion when three wise men, or kings, travelled from the East to Bethlehem to do homage to “the Infant King of the Jews”. The Wilton Diptych shows three English kings, Edmund Martyr, Edward the Confessor, and a kneeling Richard II alongside John the Baptist holding the Lamb of God. 

In the Just Judges panel Richard II is placed alongside three riders representing kings, Charles V of France, the Dauphin Charles (later crowned as Charles VI), and King René d’Anjou (doubling up as Henry IV King of England).

The facing panel of the Wilton Diptych shows a heavenly scene depicting the Virgin Mary as the Queen of Angels and carrying the Child Jesus.

This scene partly inspired Jan van Eyck’s Singing Angels section in the Ghent Altarpiece, except that his angels are without wings and were also inspired by the corbel angels in Cirencester’s parish church of St John the Baptist.

One feature of the Wilton angels panel that Jan that picked up on and utilised for the singing angels is the extended arms of the angel kneeling in the bottom right corner which point or rest on the Virgin.

This formation (in reverse) is seen on the foremost singing angel wearing the red cope. Her arms are extended in a similar fashion resting on the lectern and a reference to the Virgin Mary as the Ark of the Covenant, also known as the Ark of Testament, she being the carrier and bearer of Jesus as the Word.

The faces of the angels in both lineups are all look-a-likes, as are the Cirencester angels. A common feature in all three sets of angels is their curled and wavy hair. Van Eyck utilises this aspect to identify one singing angel in particular and introduce another narrative to why the angels are shown singing, apart from representing seductive Sirens, as I explained in a previous post some time ago.

Faces or visages is another theme that runs through the Ghent Altarpiece. In the narrative of the Epiphany Rising, the face of King Henry IV (who doubles up as King René) is hidden. Later in life Henry’s face became disfigured. Following the death of Richard II, Henry had the former king’s body lie in state with his face uncovered to show the public that no foul play could be suspected in his passing when he was held captive. It was claimed he died of self-imposed starvation.

My next post will deal with identifying the face of Alice Charleton as it appears in Van Eyck’s Singing Angels panel.

Finally, that the Wilton Diptych is currently exhibited at Oxford is somewhat of an historic reminder of the outcome for many of the rebels who participated in the Epiphany Rising. After their capture they were brought to King Henry IV at the university town to be tried and executed at a place known as the Green Ditch.

The University’s coat of arms, the Green Ditch, and Richard Fitzalan are all referenced in the Singing Angels panel.

Henry Beaufort served as Chancellor of Oxford University from 1397 to 1399.