When it comes to Western painting, the first thing that comes to mind is usually oil painting. But have you ever wondered how oil painting came about? Today, let me tell you about the inventor of oil painting, Jan van Eyck, who is considered a representative painter of the “Northern Renaissance.”
Father of Oil Painting: Jan van Eyck
- When we talk about Western painting, oil painting immediately comes to mind, and Jan van Eyck can be considered the inventor of oil painting, earning him the title “Father of Oil Painting.” He was a key figure in the formation of oil painting and made irreplaceable contributions to the development of oil painting techniques.
- Jan van Eyck (1386–1441) was one of the leading figures of the “Northern Renaissance.” The “Northern Renaissance” refers to the Renaissance movement in the Low Countries (the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and parts of northeastern France), located north of the Alps. During this period, the Northern Renaissance became a cultural and artistic center in Europe, thriving in industries such as handicrafts and textiles, and experiencing significant cultural development.
- The Renaissance was a phenomenon that spread across Europe, and to understand it, we need a geographical perspective. Florence, Venice, and the Netherlands were three representative places of the Renaissance. While the Renaissance was unfolding in Florence, many great painters also emerged in the Netherlands, competing with Florence in artistic brilliance. Jan van Eyck lived before Masaccio, the founder of linear perspective in Florence, and during the same time as Donatello, the “father of sculpture.” Although the Renaissance in Florence achieved great success, the Northern Renaissance, represented by Jan van Eyck, gained prominence first in terms of time.
- Jan van Eyck holds an important place among the many masters of the Northern Renaissance because he embodied two unique features: the use of oil painting and an extremely detailed painting style. He was the first well-known painter to use oil paint, and although there is evidence that oil painting techniques existed as early as the 7th century in Afghanistan, it was only after Jan van Eyck that oil paints were widely used in artistic creation. At that time, apprentices had to first learn how to mix their paints by hand, and oil painting involved blending pigments with castor oil. This advancement in painting materials opened up more possibilities for artistic creation.
- Oil painting has two major advantages over earlier tempera painting. First, the colors are more vivid and have higher saturation. Tempera painting was limited to colors with lower saturation, unable to produce the brighter, more vibrant colors that oil painting could. After the invention of oil painting, artists had a wider range of color choices, with greater vibrancy and controllable saturation, which further expanded the creative possibilities. Second, oil paints have a very thick texture. Unlike watercolor, which spreads on paper, oil paints allow for more detailed work, enabling artists to create finer, more intricate depictions of various subjects.
- Jan van Eyck epitomized the aesthetic of the Northern Renaissance, which was marked by extreme detail. In his masterpiece The Arnolfini Portrait, two details stand out to illustrate this. First, in the portrait of the young couple, the bride is wearing a green dress, and the folds of the fabric are intricately rendered, each one meticulously depicted, making it appear lifelike. If you look closely with a magnifying glass at the white fur on the dress, you can even see each individual fiber in great detail. Second, the mirror in the painting has a diameter of less than 20 centimeters, with a frame barely 2 centimeters thick. Yet, in this tiny space, Jan van Eyck not only reflected the scene, including himself, but also included three figures in the mirror, taking fine detail to the extreme.
- Due to the level of detail in his work, Jan van Eyck’s paintings are often considered “historical photographs.” At that time, there was no photographic technology, so his paintings served as a form of historical documentation, capturing moments in history. From a historical research perspective, these works provide valuable insight into the society of the time and hold immense research value.
Jan van Eyck’s Masterpiece The Arnolfini Portrait
In The Arnolfini Portrait, the fur on the little dog is rendered with extreme precision.
In The Arnolfini Portrait, the reflection in the mirror on the back wall and the intricate details of the mirror frame are carefully depicted.
The fine brushwork in the Song Dynasty’s meticulous paintings shares a remarkable similarity with the detailed painting style of the Northern Renaissance.
Quick Tip: How to Easily Distinguish Between Northern and Southern Renaissance Paintings?
Left image (Northern Renaissance): Wrinkles in clothing
Right image (Southern Renaissance): Wrinkles in clothing
It’s actually quite simple: you can look at the folds in the clothing of the figures.
If the folds are numerous and sharp, it definitely belongs to the Northern Renaissance. If the folds are fewer and smoother, it generally belongs to the Southern Renaissance. This is because the Northern climate is colder, and clothing is heavier, while the South is warmer, and clothing is lighter. Even if there are folds, they are more rounded in shape.
