Jan van Eyck - Report from Europe - 'Jan van Eyck: Early Netherlandish Painting and Southern Europe' exhibit - Brief Article

Magazine Antiques, June, 2002 by Miriam Kramer

Jan van Eyck and his broth-Hubert were among the first artists to work in oils. Little is known about their early lives, although it is certain that Jan van Eyck worked in The Hague from 1422 probably until January 1425 for John of Bavaria, count of Holland, and beginning in 1425, as the court painter in Bruges to Philip the Good, duke of Burgundy. He remained in Philip's employ as both painter and ambassador until he died in 1441.

Flemish art was particularly well regarded in southern Europe. The region was then under the control of the dukes of Burgundy and their influence was felt at the courts of Spain, Italy, France, and Portugal. Patrons and collectors there commissioned paintings from Jan van Eyck and Hans Memling, among others, and in return Italian and Portuguese painters such as Filippo Lippi and Nuno Goncalves were inspired by their northern colleagues.

An exhibition entitled Jan van Eyck: Early Netherlandish Painting and Southern Europe celebrates the status of modern Bruges, Belgium, as the 2002 Cultural Capital of Europe and explores the cross-fertilization of northern and southern European artists. It will be on view until June 30 at the Groeninge-museum in Bruges. The curator is Till-Holger Borchert, and the sponsors of the exhibition are Electrabel, KBC, and Randstad. Catalogues of the exhibition are published in Dutch, French, German, and English. The latter, entitled The Age of Van Eyck, may be ordered from Thames and Hudson by telephoning 44-1252-377380.