Purpose;

An educational blog dedicated to discussion and commentary on art in a historical context, as well as sharing related images of interest.

Monday, September 24, 2012

15th Century Flemish Style

Jan Van Eyck (1433 A.D.)
'Man in a Red Turban'
Oil on wood
  Van Eyck was court painter for Phillip the Good and one of the first Flemish painters to work primarily with oil paints or tempera. Eyck used them to create the soft feel and realistic visual texture which his pieces are known for. Using layers of translucent paint, Van Eyck and his contemporaries could blend colors and shade areas with an exactitude which fresco did not allow.
  This piece in particular is noted as one in which the subject of the picture looks directly back at the audience (instead of an implied focus off to one side). The directness and lack of decoration suggest to some that this may be a self-portrait of Jan Van Eyck; a claim supported by an inscribed frame which accompanies the piece. Others believe it may be a form of sample work meant to entice other nobles to commission Van Eyck's work outside of Flanders.

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