Jan Van Eyck
Jan Van Eyck, (c. 1390-1441). Flemish painter, a pioneer of oil painting and realism. In 1425 he entered the service of the duke of Burgundy, who employed him on diplomatic missions and as a court painter. By 1434 he had married and settled in Bruges. Jan completed the famous altarpiece in Ghent, begun by his brother Hubert, and several other works signed by him survive. These include Man in a Red Turban (1433), perhaps a self-portrait, and The Arnol find Marriage (1434), both in the National Gallery, London.
