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EYCK, Jan van: Portrait of Jan de Leeuw

🖼 Portrait of Jan de Leeuw, 1436
Oil on wood
24.5 × 19 cm
Vienna, Austria

Rendered in meticulous oil glazes, this portrait captures a merchant's stern gaze against dark background, every wrinkle and fabric texture crystalline. Van Eyck's revolutionary technique established oil painting as Europe's dominant medium, while his inscribed Latin motto affirms the sitter's identity and status.

The story of art
The story of art
E. H. Gombrich
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