Jan Van Eyck - Master of Realism
Enlarge Image Jan Van Eyck, long and somewhat erroneously credited as the 'inventor of oil painting', is renowned for his magnificently detailed and brilliantly colored works.
The first work by Jan Van Eyck that I saw was 'Giovanni Arnolfini and his wife'. An excellently detailed and well-lit painting, it was commissioned in 1434 by Arnolfini, an Italian merchant living in Bruges, to celebrate his wedding to Giovanna Cenami. I loved the mirror placed between the couple on the wall behind, reflecting them and the length of the room. That's a totally amazing touch.
Early Life:
We first hear of Jan Van Eyck in an official record from 1422 - he was a young Court Painter, in his mid-twenties then, in the service of Duke John of Bavaria - and from then on his life is comparatively well-documented. However, practically nothing is known about his early life prior to 1422. He was probably born sometime in 1390 in Maaseyck.
In those times, if you wanted to work as a professional artist you needed to have a membership to the Artists' Guild and, to get this membership, it was compulsory for any artist to have undergone a rigorous training for several years in the studio of an established Master Painter. We can assume, especially given his proficiency which bespeaks of years of training anyway, that Jan Van Eyck spent his formative artistic years in a similar fashion.
Jan Van Eyck and Philip The Good:
While working in the Hague in the service of Duke John, Jan Van Eyck built up quite a reputation for himself as a fine painter. So, when his patron died in 1425, he had no trouble finding a new employer. He was sought almost immediately by Philip The Good, who was the Duke of Burgundy, a rich and powerful state in those times. Philip, a highly cultured man and patron of arts, offered him an excellent salary, combined with many privileges and honors, and Jan Van Eyck went on to remain in his service for the rest of his life.
Painter and Diplomat:
In those times, like now, being an artist required you to be competent on several other levels as well. Jan Van Eyck painted not just canvases, altarpieces, and palace decorations, he was also fashion designer, stage designer, banner designer, food designer, and was available for just about anything else that was required.
Taking note of his brilliant intellectual and social capabilities, Philip The Good often sent him on important diplomatic missions. Two such missions were related to the ducal marriage. The first to Spain, which was not successful. The second mission was to Portugal to meet with and paint the portrait of the Duke's prospective wife, Isabella, the eldest daughter of King John I of Portugal. Isabella was won - though the portrait is now unfortunately lost.
These travels, often also made to neighboring towns and states on behalf of the Duke, broadened Jan Van Eyck's outlook and also introduced him to the different styles of paintings then in vogue.
Personal Life:
After the Duke was happily married, Jan Van Eyck decided to follow suit and, around 1433, got married himself. His wife was called Margaret and they had several children together, one who was graciously given the privilege of having the Duke of Burgundy for Godfather. We don't have too many other details about Margaret or the kids.
Art:
After Philip The Good was married, he doesn't seem to have needed Jan Van Eyck in perpetual attendance as before. This gave the artist time to take on other clients and work on their projects. He completed a magnificent altarpiece for the Cathedral of St Bavon in Ghent. This work was apparently started by Jan Van Eyck's brother, Hubert, about whom, again, not much is known, and who had died in 1426, leaving the work unfinished. Jan Van Eyck and Hubert probably worked together earlier and Hubert was considered the better painter - at least the inscription on the St Bavon altarpiece states so and we don't know if that is the truth or just magnanimity on the part of Jan Van Eyck - if true, it raises a question about the excellent earlier works attributed to Jan Van Eyck - how do we know for such that Hubert didn't do them?
Aside from this altarpice, Jan Van Eyck also painted portraits of the city notables - like the beautiful, if over-pious painting of Chancellor Nicolas Rolin - Rolin, who was notoriously corrupt, is shown being blessed by the Virgin and Baby Jesus. Jan Van Eyck also undertook decoration work for the Bruges City Hall.
Aspects about Jan Van Eyck's Art:
A large portion of Jan Van Eyck's artwork did not last over the ages and is now lost. The works that have come down to us, however, are all notable for their amazing sense of reality, impressive technique, and excellent color sense and perspective - you could almost step into his paintings and mingle with the realistic characters peopling them.
He did not invent oil painting as many people assume, but he certainly did improvise on the way oils were used then - he gessoed a smooth wooden surface and painted in an opaque style, with many overlays of transparent color glazes.
He was also one of the first to show faces in three-quarter view and pay detailed attention to light and shade. His motto was 'As Best As I Can'.
Jan Van Eyck died in June 1441 and was buried with high honors at the Church of St Donat. Philip The Good mourned him sincerely and repaid his 16 years of loyal service by seeing to it that his widow and children were well-provided for.
