Jan van Eyck (v. 1390-1441)

Master of the Flemish renaissance of the 15th century, Jan Van Eyck is particularly known for the realism of his paintings, moving away from the international Gothic of the time. For a long time he was credited with the invention of oil painting, if this is questioned today it is certain that Van Eyck used this technique very early and perfected it. Van Eyck is also innovative in his conception of his status as a painter, he was indeed one of the first painters to sign his paintings, as in his masterpiece "The Arnolfini couple". A renowned painter, Van Eyck painted for the greatest of his time, such as the Duke of Burgundy, Philippe le Bon.