Jan van Eyck

About the Artist

Jan van Eyck, born around 1390 in the Limburg region of present-day Belgium and died in Bruges in 1441, was a Flemish painter of the Northern Renaissance. He served as court painter to John III the Pitiless and Philip, Duke of Burgundy, also carrying out diplomatic missions. Jan van Eyck's artistic world emphasizes naturalism and realism, building on the International Gothic style while achieving even greater technical refinement. His development of oil painting technique in particular yielded remarkable results in detailed depiction and texture. Signature works include 'The Ghent Altarpiece' and 'The Turin-Milan Hours,' produced between 1432 and 1439. He revealed his identity in an original way, signing his works with his name written in Greek characters.