Chapter 1
The magic of oil and Jan van Eyck
Chapter 2
Hieronymus Bosch and his wild imagination
Chapter 3
Pieter Bruegel and the celebration of the commoner
Chapter 4
The merchant money that bought a renaissance
YOUR GOAL
Master of The oil paint rebels of Flanders
Ch 1 · The magic of oil and Jan van Eyck
andy Jan van Eyck's Oil Mastery
Paint with the oil, paint with the oil, We make the light come alive.
andy In Bruges, a wealthy merchant couple stands beneath Van Eyck's calligraphic signature while a tiny convex mirror displays
andy Dramatic warm light illuminates the massive twelve-panel polyptych inside St. Bavo's Cathedral.
Fun Fact
Hidden mirror signature: Jan van Eyck signed his 1434 Arnolfini Portrait with the words 'Jan van Eyck was here' painted directly onto the wall above the mirror [4].
Glossary
oil paint (noun)
A paste made of pigment ground in a drying oil, used for artistic painting. Jan van Eyck utilized this medium in 1432 to paint the luminous Ghent Altarpiece.
A paste made of pigment ground in a drying oil, used for artistic painting. Jan van Eyck utilized this medium in 1432 to paint the luminous Ghent Altarpiece.
Quiz
What unusual detail is visible in the reflection of the mirror in the Arnolfini Portrait?
Quiz
Which animal, symbolizing fidelity, sits at the feet of the couple in the Arnolfini Portrait?
Quiz
What did Flemish artists mix with pigment to replace quick-drying egg tempera in the 15th century?
Quiz
What optical device is painted on the back wall of the Arnolfini Portrait, reflecting the entire room?
Quiz
Why did oil paint allow Flemish artists to achieve unprecedented realism compared to Italian fresco?