Jan van Eyck

Jan van Eyck c. before 1390 – 9 July 1441) was a Flemish painter active in Bruges who was one of the early innovators of what became known as Early Netherlandish painting, and one of the supreme figures of the Early Northern Renaissance.

Jan van Eyck was one of the most important painters of the Early Northern Renaissance. Active in the 15th century in the Burgundian Netherlands, he is celebrated for transforming oil painting into a medium of extraordinary precision and luminosity.

Such was his legacy, that he has been called “the inventor of oil-painting” with perfected techniques that allowed for incredible detail, rich color, and subtle light effects, giving his works an almost photographic realism. His mastery of oil glazing created depth and texture unmatched in his time.

Among his most famous works are the Ghent Altarpiece and the Arnolfini Portrait, both remarkable for their symbolism, intricate detail, and sophisticated use of perspective and reflection.