Northern Renaissance · 1434
Jan van Eyck c. 1390–1441
National Gallery · London
A merchant and his wife stand in a Bruges chamber rendered with miraculous detail — and a mirror that reflects the painter himself.
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Watch the first minute here. The full film, with the painter, the history and a close reading of the details, is in Hear Art.
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Chapter 1 of 7
You are standing before one of the strangest, most intimate paintings ever made. In 1434 in Bruges, Jan van Eyck — the Northern Renaissance master who perfected oil paint itself — turns a private chamber into a document. Every surface here holds a secret.
The question is how many you can read.
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