Jan van Eyck: pictures and biography

Everyone, even very far from art, has ever heard such a name: Jan van Eyck. His paintings can be called perfect in technique and color selection, in terms of plot and realism. They would easily adorn themselves with the best collections, and people who understand art, argue that the artist's canvases have a hidden meaning and are filled with a mystery that you want to unravel.

A little about the genius of the brush

An outstanding artist lived and worked in the era of the Early Northern Renaissance. Jan van Eyck, whose paintings can be studied for hours, was born in the Netherlands (now the town of Maaseik is located on the territory of Belgium) at the end of the fourteenth century. This then he laid the foundation for a new trend of art nova painting, and he was taught by his brother Hubert, known in the circles of admirers of art. On the good education of Jan can be judged by the inscriptions, which he left in his works. These were the words in native Flemish, French, Greek, Latin, Hebrew. And the artist paid great attention to the smallest details, which gives the right to judge the observability and sharp mind of van Eyck.

Recognition in life

It is known for certain that Jan van Eyck, whose paintings delight people in the twenty-first century, enjoyed popularity among his contemporaries. In 1422 he worked at the court of John of Bavaria in The Hague, where he painted the Count's chambers. True, not a single work has survived. Then the master moved to Flanders and joined the Duke of Burgundy, who worked for sixteen years.

Philip the Good often gave the artist secret assignments, which speaks of the Duke's great confidence in the painter. And he also generously endowed the artist with gifts and solid monetary payments. On the instructions of the same Philip, Ian took part in a diplomatic mission in Portugal, the purpose of which was the marriage between the widowed duke and Princess Isabella. In parallel with the work at the court, Jan van Eyck carried out orders from churches and monasteries.

The artist-innovator

What else is known for Jan van Eyck (we list the pictures with the names in our article)? The fact that many people consider him the inventor of oil paints and the popularizer of the technique of oil painting in the Old World. In fact, the master only perfected such coloring compositions, making them quick-drying and giving them the ability to be applied in several layers (including transparent). Therefore it seemed that his canvasses seemed to shine from within.

The most famous works

Many wrote Jan van Eyck paintings. "Madonna in the Church" - one of the early works, it is made in the technique of alternately applying layers of oil paints on a polished white gypsum primer, varnished. Therefore, it has an amazing effect of internal glow. A small canvas depicts Our Lady with the baby Jesus in the church. In the foreground is the feminine silhouette of the Madonna, on whose head the expensive crown flaunts. In a very detailed way, Jan sketched the folds on clothes, the decor of the crown, the interior of the temple, the play of light and shadow. Currently, this masterpiece is stored in Rome.

Wrote Jan van Eyck paintings, which may seem strange. This is considered the canvas "Portrait of the Arnolfini four" (1434). At first glance, this is an ordinary picture depicting a man and a woman at the time of their marriage. However, the signature of the painter in a prominent place, scenes from the life of Christ on the mirror, only one candle over the newlyweds and so on looks not quite standard. In the picture there is a large number of different symbols: oranges denote wealth, the dog is faithful, the candle is the all-seeing eye and the light of Christ. Today, this work is stored in the London National Gallery.

What else created Jan van Eyck paintings? Some of them you can see in the article:

• "Ghent Altar", written in 1432 with his brother.
• "Timothy" (1432).
• "Our Lady of Chancellor Rolen" (1436).
• "Portrait of a man with a carnation" (1435).
• "St. Barbara" (1437) and others.

In total, the painter created about a hundred works on religious topics and countless portraits. His paintings attract the look of inner radiance, as well as the subtle craftsmanship that the great Jan van Eyck owned. No wonder he is considered one of the greatest artists of the world, a real genius of the brush.