FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – A book by a University of Arkansas professor examines the evolution of the triptych format from medieval to early modern times in paintings produced in the region of present-day Belgium and Holland. Lynn F. Jacobs, professor of art in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, focuses on the notions of thresholds and their meaning in early Netherlandish art in her latest research. This work culminated in the publication of Opening Doors: The Early Netherlandish Triptych Reinterpreted (Pennsylvania State Press), which has garnered a great deal of praise. 

“Offering an impressive survey of this great artistic achievement, Opening Doors truly lives up to its name and contributes fresh new interpretations,” said Larry Silver of the University of Pennsylvania. “Scholars and their students will use this book as a standard work for many years to come.”

“Admirably broad in its sweep – from Jan van Eyck to Peter Paul Rubens – this book tackles a fundamentally important question: how the form of the triptych affected its meaning,” said Diane Wolfthal of Rice University. “This book will undoubtedly have a major impact on the field.”

The term "triptych," meaning a painting or relief carving on three panels, typically hinged together so that the side panels could open and close, did not exist during the period covered in Jacobs’s book. Contemporary French, German and Latin terms refer to the form as “a painting with doors.” 

 Jacobs’ book, published in late 2011, is attracting more than just the attention of her scholastic peers. A New York artist wrote to Jacobs that he was “visiting Paris and came upon your fascinating book, Opening Doors, in the book shop of the Louvre. It was displayed prominently in a section on art history. It's a beautiful book and I particularly liked your concept of ‘painting with doors.’”

Opening Doors is the first comprehensive interpretation of the early Netherlandish triptych. Jacobs argues that the physical characteristics of the medium establish divisions and distinct spaces, creating boundaries as well as interactions between the center and wings that help generate meaning within the works.

“The department of art is thrilled to have such preeminent and prolific scholars as members of our faculty,” said department chair Jeannie Hulen. “This new publication exemplifies the creative and dynamic nature of our art history faculty.”

Jacobs’s courses at the University of Arkansas include Medieval, Italian Renaissance, Northern Renaissance and Baroque art. Jacobs is also the author of Early Netherlandish Carved Altarpieces, 1380-1550: Medieval Tastes and Mass Marketing, in addition to numerous articles on Northern European painting, manuscript illumination and sculpture. She has received research grants from the Belgian-American Educational Foundation and two fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Jacobs is also the co-author of the Professors’ Guide to Getting Good Grades in College published by Harper-Collins (2006), and The Secrets of College Success (Wiley, 2010).