Art Gallery

Eyck, Jan van (1390 - 1441), can claim as much importance for northern painting as must be conceded to Masaccio in Italian art. His mastery in rendering the human figure, his modern understanding of portraiture, his minutely observed landscapes and brilliant perspectival construction of interiors combine to give a suggestion of reality which can only be called "Renaissance" to distinguish it from medieval art.

In addition, van Eyck as the principal representative of a new epoch in colour technique. Though not the inventor of oil-painting, as Vasari assumed, van Eyck was the first master of this medium and developed a process, called glazing, in which successive transparant layers of paint are applied to the canvas, thus archieving a high colour depth. He used this method with very great succes, particulary in imparting an amazing degree of realism when painting jewels and richly adorned fabrics. He was highly respected and esteemed. Untill 1422 he served at the court of Duke Johann of Bavaria in The Hague, painting and restoring pictures.

He was also highly regarded at the court of Philip the Good of Burgundy who entrusted him with various diplomatic missions. From about 1430 he lived and worked in Bruges as painter to the court and city. His overall contribution to Flemisch painting in the first half of the 15th century remains unclear as long as there is no authenticated work by his brother Hubert, with whom he collaborated on the famous altarpiece in the cathedral of Ghent, which was completed in 1432 and bears his brother's inscription. As Hubert died in 1426, Jan van Eyck continued to work alone on the altar for another six years on his own to complete it.