
Flemish painter Jan van Eyck (c.1390-1441) perfected oil painting techniques that brought unprecedented realism to Early Northern Renaissance art. His minutely detailed depictions of surface effects, natural light, and material textures had never been achieved before. Van Eyck's ability to manipulate translucent oil glazes created luminous effects that revolutionized painting. The Ghent Altarpiece and Arnolfini Portrait demonstrate his supreme mastery.
Already a master with workshop assistants by 1422, van Eyck served as court painter to John III the Pitiless before joining Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, in 1425. He was exceptionally well paid; his salary doubled twice in his first years and was often supplemented by bonuses. Van Eyck was the only 15th-century Netherlandish painter to sign his panels, often with his motto "ALS ICH KAN" (As I Can), a pun on his name. The Arnolfini Portrait's convex mirror reflects two figures entering the room, possibly including van Eyck himself, with his prominent signature reading "Jan van Eyck was here." The National Gallery in London holds the Arnolfini Portrait, while the Ghent Altarpiece remains at Saint Bavo's Cathedral.
25 paintings catalogued with museum locations

Jan van Eyck
St. Bavo Cathedral, Ghent, Ghent

Jan van Eyck
St. Bavo Cathedral, Ghent, Ghent

Jan van Eyck
St. Bavo Cathedral, Ghent, Ghent

Jan van Eyck
St. Bavo Cathedral, Ghent, Ghent

Jan van Eyck
St. Bavo Cathedral, Ghent, Ghent

Jan van Eyck
St. Bavo Cathedral, Ghent, Ghent
Jan van Eyck
St. Bavo Cathedral, Ghent, Ghent

Jan van Eyck
St. Bavo Cathedral, Ghent, Ghent

Jan van Eyck
St. Bavo Cathedral, Ghent, Ghent

Jan van Eyck
Turin City Museum of Ancient Art, Turin, Turin

Jan van Eyck
Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit

Jan van Eyck
Sabauda Gallery, Turin, Turin

Jan van Eyck
Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna

Jan van Eyck
National Gallery, London

Jan van Eyck
St. Bavo Cathedral, Ghent, Ghent

Jan van Eyck
St. Bavo Cathedral, Ghent, Ghent

Jan van Eyck
St. Bavo Cathedral, Ghent, Ghent

Jan van Eyck
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Jan van Eyck
St. Bavo Cathedral, Ghent, Ghent

Jan van Eyck, 1432
Saint Bavo's Cathedral, Ghent

Jan van Eyck, 1434
National Gallery, London

Jan van Eyck, 1436
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Jan van Eyck, 1435
Louvre, Paris, Paris
Jan van Eyck, 1420
Palazzo Madama - Museo Civico d'Arte Antica, Turin
Jan van Eyck, 1432
Royal Museums of Turin, Turin
12 museums display Eyck's works. Click any museum to see visiting info and the specific works they hold.

New York, USA
1 work on display
Paris, France
1 work on display


London, UK
2 works on display

Washington, D.C., United States
1 work on display

Vienna, Austria
1 work on display


Ghent, Belgium
13 works on display

Detroit, United States
1 work on display

Turin, Italy
1 work on display

Ghent, Belgium
1 work on display

Turin, Italy
1 work on display
Turin, Italy
1 work on display
Turin, Italy
1 work on display
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