Technical examinations of the Ghent Altarpiece have yielded an immense body of data since the 1950s. Conservators and art historians have relied heavily on this information to support theories about the working methods and materials of Jan van Eyck, but should these theories be directly applied to van Eyck's other paintings? A review of conservation dossiers for works attributed to van Eyck, his contemporaries and earlier artists has, together with physical examinations of paintings carried out for this study, highlighted many common painterly practices. These investigations have also identified demonstrable differences between the Ghent panels and other paintings in the Eyckian corpus - differences that are considered in detail here in terms of the appearance and allocation of pigments in the paint structure. This exploration of technique and physical format has opened a path for new responses to questions about the production of some of the most iconic images in the history of art.

Jan van Eyck's Ghent Altarpiece is on any art historian's list of the ten most important paintings ever made. Often referred to by the subject of its central panel, The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, it represents the fulcrum between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. It is also the most frequently stolen artwork of all time. Since its completion in 1432, this twelve-panel oil painting has been looted in three different wars, burned, dismembered, forged, smuggled, illegally sold, censored, hidden, attacked by iconoclasts, hunted by the Nazis and Napoleon, used as a diplomatic tool, ransomed, rescued by Austrian double-agents, and stolen a total of thirteen times. In this fast-paced, real-life thriller, art historian Noah Charney unravels the stories of each of these thefts. In the process, he illuminates the whole fascinating history of art crime, and the psychological, ideological, religious, political, and social motivations that have led many men to covet this one masterpiece above all others.

In 1842, Jan van Eyck's Arnolfini Portrait (1434) was acquired by the National Gallery in London. It quickly exerted an influence on British artists, none more so than the young painters of the nascent Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, who were drawn to van Eyck's luminous palette, attention to detail, and refined manipulation of oil paints. This book presents the Arnolfini Portrait with a selection of Pre-Raphaelite paintings it inspired. The authors explore how Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Sir John Everett Millais, and William Holman Hunt, among others, were influenced by the Arnolfini Portrait, informing their belief in empirical observation and inspiring them to explore how everyday objects could be endowed with symbolic meanings. Published by National Gallery Company/Distributed by Yale University Press Exhibition Schedule: National Gallery, London (10/02/17-04/02/18)

This stunning compilation of the work of Jan van Eyck, the master Flemish painter, is being published to coincide with a once-in-a-lifetime exhibition in Ghent. Flemish painter Jan van Eyck (1390–1441) towered above his contemporaries. With his unprecedented technique, scientific knowledge, and unparalleled powers of observation, Van Eyck lifted oil painting to previously unknown heights and helped determine the course of Western art. In 2020, the Museum of Fine Arts in Ghent will host the largest ever exhibition of Van Eyck’s work. Van Eyck: An Optical Revolution includes artwork by Van Eyck, several pieces from his studio, and international masterpieces from the late Middle Ages while making the world of Van Eyck more tangible than ever. This tie-in exhibition catalog unravels some of the myths that surround Van Eyck and his techniques, while showing his complete oeuvre and influence in a new perspective. Including essays by leading experts from around the world, Van Eyck will prove to be an indispensable resource for Van Eyck fans and scholars alike.

A new assessment of the inventive and influential artist Jan van Eyck. Jan van Eyck (1390–1441) was one of the most inventive and influential artists in the entire European tradition. The realism of his paintings continues to astound observers more than six centuries on, even though our world is saturated by high-resolution images. However, viewers today are as like to be absorbed by Van Eyck’s personality as his realism. While he sometimes directly painted himself into his works, he also suggested his presence through an array of inscriptions, signatures, and even a personal motto. Incorporating a wealth of new research and recent discoveries within a fresh exploration of the paintings themselves, this book reveals how profoundly Jan van Eyck transformed the very idea of what an artist could be.

Bridging the fields of conservation, art history, and museum curating, this volume contains the principal papers from an international symposium titled "Historical Painting Techniques, Materials, and Studio Practice" at the University of Leiden in Amsterdam, Netherlands, from June 26 to 29, 1995. The symposium—designed for art historians, conservators, conservation scientists, and museum curators worldwide—was organized by the Department of Art History at the University of Leiden and the Art History Department of the Central Research Laboratory for Objects of Art and Science in Amsterdam. Twenty-five contributors representing museums and conservation institutions throughout the world provide recent research on historical painting techniques, including wall painting and polychrome sculpture. Topics cover the latest art historical research and scientific analyses of original techniques and materials, as well as historical sources, such as medieval treatises and descriptions of painting techniques in historical literature. Chapters include the painting methods of Rembrandt and Vermeer, Dutch 17th-century landscape painting, wall paintings in English churches, Chinese paintings on paper and canvas, and Tibetan thangkas. Color plates and black-and-white photographs illustrate works from the Middle Ages to the 20th century.

02 This innovative book presents a fresh view of fifteenth-century Netherlandish art and the significance of its contributions to contemporary Italian art, notably in such areas as oil painting, landscape, and portraiture. Focusing on Florence, a prime center of Renaissance culture, the book explores for the first time the profound impact of Netherlandish works on Italian painters including Leonardo, Perugino, and Ghirlandaio.Paula Nuttall discusses Italian ownership of Netherlandish paintings in the fifteenth century and the shared artistic concerns of Florentine and Netherlandish painters. She examines in depth the various means by which artistic contact occurred, the growth in demand for Netherlandish art in Florence, and the holdings of the Medici and other collectors. With particular emphasis on the period 1460–1500, when the vogue for Netherlandish painting was at its height, the author shows that the consequences of Italian exposure to Netherlandish art were far more sweeping than has been understood before.Paula Nuttall is an independent scholar. She teaches at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and at other U.K. institutions. She is a specialist on relationships between Netherlandish painting and Italy and has published widely in this area. This innovative book presents a fresh view of fifteenth-century Netherlandish art and the significance of its contributions to contemporary Italian art, notably in such areas as oil painting, landscape, and portraiture. Focusing on Florence, a prime center of Renaissance culture, the book explores for the first time the profound impact of Netherlandish works on Italian painters including Leonardo, Perugino, and Ghirlandaio.Paula Nuttall discusses Italian ownership of Netherlandish paintings in the fifteenth century and the shared artistic concerns of Florentine and Netherlandish painters. She examines in depth the various means by which artistic contact occurred, the growth in demand for Netherlandish art in Florence, and the holdings of the Medici and other collectors. With particular emphasis on the period 1460–1500, when the vogue for Netherlandish painting was at its height, the author shows that the consequences of Italian exposure to Netherlandish art were far more sweeping than has been understood before.Paula Nuttall is an independent scholar. She teaches at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and at other U.K. institutions. She is a specialist on relationships between Netherlandish painting and Italy and has published widely in this area.

In Anonymous Art at Auction, Anne-Sophie V. Radermecker takes the opposing view of the superstar economy by examining contemporary sales of Early Flemish paintings with unknown authorship and the effects of various substitutes for real names on price formation.

A lushly illustrated look at the most influential Flemish painter of the Renaissance and one of the great masters of all time.