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Jan
van Eyck is considered to be a founder of the
Early Renaissance style in the Northern Renaissance.
Until 1425 Jan van Eyck served at the court
of Duke Johann of Bavaria in Hague, painting
and restoring pictures. After that, he served
at the court of Philip the Good of Burgundy,
where he was greatly valued not only as an artist,
but he also was entrusted by Duke with various
diplomatic missions. Since 1430 van Eyck lived
and worked in Bruges as painter to the court
and city.
It was believed, that Jan van Eyck invented
painting with oils, maybe it is not true, but
his technique in painting with oils is exceptional.
His paint is so transparent that his works have
a unique, almost luminous sheen. So outstanding
was his skill as an oil painter that the invention
of the medium was at one time attributed to
him. Van Eyck exploited the qualities of oil
as never before, building up layers of transparent
glazes, thus giving him a surface on which to
capture objects in the minutest detail and allowing
for the preservation of his colours.
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