The two Belgian brothers that invented oil painting
Hubert van Eyck and Jan van Eyck are famous for having invented oil painting by adding turpentine to colours. This made it possible to produce paintings with finer details and more vibrant colors.
In 1390, Jan van Eyck was born in the territories under the authority of the Prince Bishop of Liège, Jean de Bavière. Famous for his realistic and detailed portraits, the work of Jan van Eyck is mainly composed of depictions of the Virgin Mary.
|The Adoration of the Mystic Lam|
Among his most famous works are The Arnolfini Portrait (1434), the portrait of Marguerite Van Eyck and the altarpiece at Saint Bavo Cathedral in Ghent, the masterpiece, the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb (1432), that he painted together with his brother. His older brother Hubert van Eyck also belonged to the school of Flemish primitive painters of the 15th century.