Jan van Eyck

Jan van Eyck – Court painter in The Hague and Bruges; connections to Florence

Jan van Eyck was born in Maaseyck in the year 1390. His early years remain in the dark, with the earliest written record listing him as court painter in the rank of chamber servant of Johann III in The Hague. There he was entrusted with the painterly decoration of the Binnenhof and had at least two assistants. After the death of his noble commissioner, Jan van Eyck went to Bruges where he attracted the attention of the Duke of Burgundy, Philip the Good, whom he went on to work for. The work for Philip is comparatively well documented, so it is certain that van Eyck was not only in service to the regent as painter, but was also chosen by him for diplomatic missions. Due to the close contact between the cities of Burges and Florence, van Eyck found himself in a steady and fruitful exchange with Italian artists; he was highly esteemed in Italy and his work reached lavish prices. 

The Ghent Altarpiece as a milestone of art history

Jan van Eyck worked with his brother Hubert van Eyck on one of his most famous pieces: the Ghent Altar depicts the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb and is a highlight of art history. It was unveiled in 1432 to a then astonished public and was stolen several times in the course of its history – by Napoleon and the Nazis, amongst others. One panel still remains missing, with the existing pieces the subject of extensive restoration since 2012. Jan van Eyck travelled to Portugal for Duke Philipp to paint a portrait of Princess Isabella, the daughter of King Johann I; the painting was intended to show the curious Burgundian prince what his future wife looked like. Philipp’s reaction is unknown, but the marriage was not considered a happy one. The relationship between employer and artist was unaffected, and van Eyck, who originally was only supposed to have been in the duke’s service for one year, remained at the court for the rest of his life. 

A much-copied revolutionary of art history

With his famous colleagues Hugo van der Goes, Hans Memling and Rogier van der Weyden, Jan van Eyck developed a completely new art of painting, which clearly distinguished itself from medieval wall paintings and Italian panel pictures with its naturalistic depiction of the contemporary reality of life. Even during his lifetime, people recognised the revolutionary genius of the master and revered him, while numerous artists imitated the style of Jan van Eyck and copied his works. Alongside his duties as court painter, van Eyck took on numerous private commissions. Many connoisseurs are also certain that he created the famous Turin-Milan Book of Hours – but this is by no means certain. 

Jan van Eyck was buried in Bruges on 9 July 1441 – the exact date of his death is unknown. His employer, Philipp, honoured the young-deceased artist posthumously by paying his widow a year’s worth of her husband’s wage.