Portrait History #3

Jan Van Eyck

Jan Van Eyck and Leonardo Da Vinci a short history.When France was still the center of Europe, French ideas and styles had a great influence everywhere. Germany was ruled by a family from Luxembourg who had their residence in Prague. There is a wonderful series of busts dating from this period between (1379 and1386) in the cathedral of Prague. These are real portraits.

For the series includes busts of contemporaries including one of the artist in charge Peter Parlour the younger, which is in all probability the first real self-portrait of an artist known to us. (Peter Parlour) the younger)
Jan Van Eyck's art reached perhaps its greatest triumph in the painting of portraits. One of his most famous portraits which represents an Italian merchant, Giovanni Arnolfini, who had to come to the Netherlands on business, with his bride Jeanne de Chenany. A simple corner of the real world had suddenly been fixed on to a panel as if by magic. Here it was-the carpet and the slippers, the rosary on the wall, the little brush beside the bed, and the fruit on the windowsill.

The picture probably represents a solemn moment in their lives-their betrothal. and probably the painter was asked to record this important moment as a witness. (Jan Van Eyck)There is a work of Leonardo Da Vinci which is probably the most famous portrait in today's world-that is the Mona Lisa.