100 Great Artists

H90(1)

1422 _24

14 2f

1426

14 28_29

1412

1412 _JJ

14 J4-J6

14 J6

,."

JAN VAN EYCK

Bont in Ma=yck

Dip/(Jlnar for Jllhn

o/&t-llYia in Th<

I laK'"

App"inud C",m

painut" and ,""},,

to Pbilip Ik Good

a/Burgundy

i"Natb</br()lM

Hu,,",

Sm,"" dlpl"ma/r

marTial:' mimon

t" Spain IUId

Portugal

CO/npl,,"

allilrpi"" in S,

BlI:'on CIllImJ",~

Gbmt

BUpb"u"in

Br"g"

PaintftN

Am(~fini Po«,.,;.

an;/,\h,tmn'

with C hancellor

Rolin

Pai"nlnc

M"do.,n. with

C.non Joris '~n

dcrP"dc

Di"i" Brug"

The M:alonno "ith CononJoris , -. n dcr

P~dc (tk'''i!) (1416)

Tb, ,lid",.", if IN Go",,,,', ffJ«Uld" iT rignificlVl',

&ing t..",,,!thy and t....,U .. ..,""'''d, lim Eyd: aima5!

",""'imy bad iKem to op,jal/ aith_ ,"muTT and

1m", _to lID;" hi, imag<-muing

T

he fore".,,, Flemish I"in"" of the

fiftcrn,h-ttnn"r 1,,1 "double IiI<: ~"

the firSt half of his c~r<..,r. Jan ,'an

EJ"::l's al'l'oinbllCnt OS C oun I"inter .nd ,-"b

to l>hilil' the G ood of Hurgundr w"lS a ",,<.ful

<,<wc.- ~"se<T .... diplom.tic missions to ~"in

and I'onugal. I low",'e" .fte, his ",,)\'e to

ll,uge<, ",h"n: th<'Y ",dcomed him as ],,,th .n

artist. nd a city c"uncillor, he prod"",,1 "-~'etal

signed and dat"] ",o.-ls with"ut intLTruption.

I lis patHlnS indud,,] Chanc<;lIor R,~in and

Canon \'an dc, I'ad", for ",·hom Van Eycl

p,in",d two ou~"an,ling "\.t,lmn:ts.

Van E)'d and his bnJther Iluhen _ wh,,,;t:

death left Jan n, coo"pl .... e the G hent Cathedral

ah",],iece _ are usually c redited ",;th the

imcnt;on "f oil I"inting. T he truth is ,."her

m"r" c"mplex and COmeS fr"m Van Eyck's

desire'" perfect. pigmented "il already

(')"pl,,)'ed n, tint d<"',r";,,,, metals.

,' I"st imp,)nantly, \ 'an E)'Ck rulired th ..

I" inter< ,j)()uld use l''''l",rly n:fin,,1 dr)ing "ill

lile pOI,'y or lins<cd. G lazing la}cr< pvc Stt llIe

<,<,lour<, dt"pe:r thon t(')"p"'a, but this ""ny_

h),ct,,1 oil "",thod ntcd,,1 patimc<;. ' leml"''''

had the a,h'anttgt: uf being quid-'h)ing, Van

E}'cl's genius combin,,1 the two, '1" lying laJcr<

of "il ",lour O\'er a tcml'<T' ground, This

yield"l. full r.ngt: of "'turat"] hues, also nCw

minure<, b<caIN: ",,,,,. the p",;de< ... cn: co .. ,,]

in oil. a,hcr:\C n:.ction" het" .... ,n ingn:,lients

wetC ","ided. Such ean: "''I'' the con";t""nts

"",1.>n:d th .. V'n E}'Ck's ",lour< ,.",ain" fn:sh

as the d'r he:«~ d(""'n his brush.