By Justin Herrera

Jan Van Eyck, a flemish painter, was born on 1390 at Maaseik, Belgium.  He had a brother- who was also famous- named HurbertVan Eyck. Jan's family was very artistic because they were a whole family of painters.  Van Eyck got some experience from working for royal and wealthy people like John of Bavaria and Philip the Good.  Jan Van Eyck made many paintings.  One of his paintingswas the "Ghent Altarpiece" which he done with his brother.  Unfortunately, during this painting, Hurbert wasn't able to finish it all because he died, so Jan had to do it alone.  Another famout painting of his was the "Arnolfini Marriage".  Van Eyck showed alot of  great detail as well a realisem in his paintings.  Even though, Jan Van Eyck didnt't earn any achievements, he still continued to paint and accompish many things.  Jan was intelligent enough to paint with symbols that attracted the human eye.  This is why his paintings were attractive.  Some say that Jan van Eyck invented ouil painting but he didn't.  Oil painting was a picture painted with oils.  It was just that Jan mastered oil painging and he was really good at this style, therefore people in the Norhern Renaissance credited him.  Jan's paintings were always done bye oil.  Sadly, on July 9, 1441 in the town of his birth, Jan Van Eyck passed away. No one knows how he died and that his death was just sudden.

Bibliography
Books Used

The Play of Realism, Craig Harbison, Reaktion Books, 1997


Internet Websites

http://www.artchive.com/artchive/V/van_eyck.html
http://www.abcgallery.com/E/eyck/eyck.html
http://www.abcgallery.com/E/eyck/eyckbio.html
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/eyck/hd_eyck.htm
http://www.wga.hu/frames-e.html?/bio/e/eyck_van/jan/biograph.html