THE ARTIST'S LIBRARY
HUBERT & JOHN
VAN EY.CK
By FRANCES C. WEALE

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HUBERT AND JOHN VAN EYCK BY
FRANCES C. WEALE: NUMBER EIGHT
OF THE ARTIST'S LIBRARY EDITED BY
LAURENCE BINYON AND PUBLISHED
BY LONGMANS GREEN AND CO. XCI
AND XCIII FIFTH AVENUE NEW YORK

HUBERT & JOHN
VAN EYCK
BY FRANCES C. WEALE

NEW YORK MCMIII
LONGMANS GREEN & CO.
XCI AND XCIII FIFTH AVENUE

PREFACE
I wish to dedicate this book to my father as an expression of
my gratitude to him for the constant help which, whilst writing
it, I received from his advice and revision.
For the benefit of readers who are not well acquainted with
the altar-piece in the Cathedral at Ghent, I may add that the
component parts of it are not herein reproduced to scale.
F. C. W.

LIST OF PLATES
Plate I. The Eternal Father. By Hubert Van Eyck.
From the Altar-piece in the Cathedral, Ghent.
„ II. The Blessed Virgin. By Hubert Van Eyck.
From the Altar-piece in the Cathedral, Ghent.
„ III. S. John Baptist. By Hubert Van Eyck.
From the Altar-piece in the Cathedral, Ghent.
„ IV. Angels Singing. By Hubert Van Eyck.
„ V. Angels Playing. By Hubert Van Eyck.
From the shutters of the Ghent Altar-piece in the Royal Gallery, Berlin.
„ VI. The Adoration of the Lamb. By Hubert Van Eyck.
From the Altar-piece in the Cathedral, Ghent.
„ VII. The Knights of Christ, and The Just Judges. By Hubert Van
Eyck.
From the shutters of the Ghent Altar-piece in the Royal Gallery, Berlin.
„ VIII. Robert Poortier praying, protected by Saint Antony. By
Hubert Van Eyck. (To this panel has been attached another by
an imitator of Van Dyck.)
From the painting in the Royal Gallery, Copenhagen.
„ IX. The Three Maries at the Sepulchre. By Hubert Van Eyck.
From the painting in the collection of Sir F. Cook, Richmond.
„ X. The B. Virgin, S. Anne, S. Barbara, and H. Steenken. By
Hubert Van Eyck.
From the painting in the collection of Baron G. Rothschild, Paris.
„ XI. Chancellor Rolin kneeling before the B. Virgin and Child.
By Hubert Van Eyck (?).
From the painting in the Louvre. vii

Plate XII. Portrait of Timothy, 1432. By John Van Eyck.
From the painting in the National Gallery.
„ XIII. John Arnolfini and his Wife, 1434. By John Van Eyck.
From the painting in the National Gallery.
„ XIV. Portrait of John De Leeuw, 1436. By John Van Eyck.
From the painting in the Imperial Gallery, Vienna.
„ XV. Saint Barbara, 1437. By John Van Eyck.
From the unfinished painting in the Museum, Antwerp.
„ XVI. The Madonna by the Fountain, 1439. By John Van Eyck.
From the painting in the Museum, Antwerp.
„ XVII. Portrait of his Wife, 1439. By John Van Eyck.
From the painting in the Museum, Bruges.
„ XVIII. Portrait of Baldwin de Lannoy, Lord of Molembaix. By John
Van Eyck.
From the painting in the Royal Gallery, Berlin. (Reproduced by kind
permission of Messrs. Colnaghi from their photograph.)
„ XIX. Tripstych : The B. Virgin and Child, the Donor protected by
S. Michael, and S. Katherine. By John Van Eyck.
From the painting in the Royal Gallery, Dresden,
„ XX. The B. Virgin and Child. By John Van Eyck.
From the painting in the Staedel Institute, Frankfort.
„ XXI. Portrait of the Cardinal of Saint Cross. By John Van Eyck.
From the painting in the Imperial Gallery, Vienna.

Vlll

HUBERT AND JOHN VAN EYCK

BIOGRAPHY
Throughout the history of art we find few figures as interesting
as the two brothers who form the subject of this memoir — Hubert
and John van Eyck. They lived at a time when a great change
took place in the art of painting — a change, moreover, which they
were instrumental in bringing about. Yet, great masters as they
were, high as was the esteem and admiration which they justly
won from their contemporaries, marvellous as their works appear
when compared with the previous productions of the various
schools of painting, their life-story is shrouded in darkness ; for
a long time their memory seems to have almost faded away ;
their works were forgotten, uncared for, or ascribed to other
hands, and it is only since the revival of interest in Early-
Netherlandish art, which began in the last years of the eighteenth
century, that they have been gradually re-installed in the place
of honour which is rightfully theirs. Strange though this at first
may appear, we understand it when we recall the fact that since
their days the Netherlands have been the scene of much warfare ;
invaders have sacked the towns, have plundered and destroyed,
so that it is small wonder that their pictures have perished or have
been scattered throughout other lands, and that but little in the
shape of documentary evidence remains to us.
Hubert van Eyck was born, it is said, at Maaseyck about!
1366 ; but the village of Eyck, now Aldeneyck, in the immediate!
vicinity of that town, from which he took his name, may very likely J
A 1

' have been his real birthplace. In all probability he studied at
Maastricht or Cologne, and after completing his apprenticeship
travelled in the South of Europe. We have proof that he must,
at some time or other, have gone thither, for in his pictures we
find represented architecture, trees and plants which he could
have seen nowhere else. Eventually he settled in Ghent —
perhaps long before the first mention of him occurs in the
accounts of the treasurers of that town, namely, in the year
1424-25, when a payment of "six escalins de gros " was made
to "Master Hubert" for two sketches furnished by him at the
desire of the sheriffs. This shows that Hubert followed the then
universal custom of submitting sketches for approval before setting
to work on a picture. The sketches in question must either have
been one for the interior, and the other for the exterior, of a panel
with shutters, or else two different designs for the same panel.
Seemingly the work was never undertaken, for, contrary to
custom, the sketches were paid for, and no mention is found
later on of any contract or payment concerning the picture. In
the accounts for the following year we find "six gros" given out
of courtesy to the members of Master Hubert's household. Un
fortunately the biographers of the Van Eycks were for a long
time misled by the existence of certain documents purporting to
register the admission of Hubert into the confraternity of Our
Lady ter Radien at Ghent in 141 2, and, as free master, into the
Guild of Saint Luke in the same town in 1422. These have lately
been proved to be forgeries.
T The date of John van Eyck's birth is unknown. He was several
I years younger than Hubert ; Van Mander asserts this, and the
portraits in the Ghent altar-piece, traditionally known as those of
Hubert and John, show a great difference in their age. It is
generally assumed that John was born about the year 1382, but it
is probable that his birth took place some years earlier. He was
no doubt educated and instructed in the art of painting by Hubert.
The great improvements made about the commencement of the
fifteenth century in the method of painting have been attributed
to discoveries made by John, but it is far more likely that they
were the joint work of the two brothers, though no doubt John in
later years carried his technical skill to greater perfection. The
change thus brought about has erroneously been described as the
" discovery of painting in oil." Now it is well known that oil was

used in the process of painting sculpture even in much earlier times!
and that in the fourteenth century tempera paintings were often!
coated with an oily varnish in order to preserve them and to give!
depth and vigour to the colour, especially to that of the draperies.J
Once, so the story runs, John van Eyck, after having expended
much time and labour on a certain picture, placed it when it had
been varnished to dry in the sun, and, either owing to some defect
in the panel or to the excessive heat, it warped, and was, of course,
ruined. He therefore set to work to find a varnish that would
dry in the shade and thus obviate such mishaps ; his experiments
must first have been directed towards discovering which oils
possessed the most drying properties ; having decided that they
were linseed and nut oils, he aimed at rendering these more
siccative by mixing with them certain resinous substances, and
thus he obtained a varnish that dried easily. Next he found
that by mixing his colours with these oils he greatly increased
their vigour, gave them a lustre of their own independent of
varnish, and what was of still greater importance, caused therri^
to mingle far better than tempera. His final efforts must have
been directed towards rendering his medium as colourless and .
liquid as possible.
This wonderful improvement must have cost both brothers
much patient labour. Of the various steps by which they arrived
at perfection, of the repeated failures which probably they had to
put up with ere success crowned their efforts, of the exact materials
used by them in the process, we know nothing. What is so
vexatious to the student and to all interested in the subject, is
that none ofthe earlier works of Hubert and John, none of those
belonging to the period when the change was actually taking
place, remain or at least are known to us. We cannot trace the
gradual improvement, but must needs be content with examples
of their skill after they had brought their new method to a fairly
finished stage of perfection. It is an event which stands un
paralleled in the history of art, that suddenly, from the inferior
tempera panels of the earlier schools, we pass to such a master
piece, such a marvel, both with regard to design and execution,
as the Adoration of the Lamb. The inscription on this picture
tells us that it was undertaken by Hubert at the desire of Jodoc
Vydt ; with this work we shall deal in the following chapter.
Hubert died on the 18th of September, 1426, and was buried
3

in the Vydts' chapel in Saint Bavo's, Ghent. The high esteem
in which he was held is clear from the terms in which he is
spoken of both in his epitaph and in the inscription on the Ghent
altar-piece, and from the fact that his right arm, enshrined in a
casket, was placed over the portal of the church, where it remained
until the sixteenth century. In the accounts of the treasurers of
Ghent for the year 1426-27 is inscribed the receipt of " six escalins
de gros," succession duty paid by the heirs of Hubert, his two
brothers John and Lambert, this proving that they were not
burghers of Ghent, for in such case they would have been exempt
from paying duty.
- Concerning John van Eyck we possess far more information.
He entered the service of John of Bavaria at the Hague on
October 22nd, 1422, and from that day until his death in 1440 we
have a fairly complete account of his movements. He was
employed by John of Bavaria at the Hague until the nth of
September, 1424. At Bruges, on the 19th of May in the following
year, he was appointed official painter to Philip the Good, Duke
of Burgundy, a patron and lover of art, who treated him with much
kindness and confidence, even entrusting to him secret and important
missions in foreign countries. He remained at Bruges for three
months after this appointment and then by order of the duke
removed to Lille, where he resided until 1428, though in the
interval he was sent on his first secret journey. From October
1428 till January 1430 he was again absent, having accompanied
John de Roubaix and Baldwin de Lannoy on an embassy to the
Portuguese court, their object being to treat for the hand of
the Infanta Isabella, whose portrait Tohn painted and sent to
Philip. In 1 43 1, John van Eyck bought a house at Bruges, married
and settled there. From this time until his death he went on
producing fresh works every year, save in 1435, when he was again
sent by Philip on a journey, the object of which, as usual, was
secret ; so that we have a complete series of paintings, signed and
dated, by which to judge the progress of his talent. He died on
the 9th of July 1440, and was buried in the churchyard of Saint
Donatian's church at Bruges; but on March 21st, 1441, at the
request of his brother Lambert, his body was removed into the
church and placed in a vault near the font. His will was proved
in 1442. 4

II
THE GHENT ALTAR-PIECE
The picture on which the fame of Hubert van Eyck is chiefly and
deservedly established is the magnificent altar-piece of the Adora
tion of the Lamb, in the church of Saint John, now the cathedral
of Saint Bavo at Ghent. It is still a matter of great dispute"
how much of this masterpiece is to be attributed to Hubert and
how much to John, to whom the task fell, after his brother's death, j
of completing the work. We do not know when Hubert undertook
the picture ; he must, according to custom, first have submitted
a sketch of the composition on which the contract with his patron
Jodoc Vydt would have been founded. In all probability he
worked at it for ten or more years before his death. An inscrip
tion on the frame runs as follows :
Pictor Hubertus e Eyck maior quo nemo repertus
incepit, pondusque Iohannes, arte secundus,
perfecit letus, Iudoci Vyd prece fretus.
VersV seXta Mal Vos CoLLoCat aCta tVerl.
"The painter Hubert van Eyck, than whom no greater has
been found, began this work, which John, his inferior in art, gladly
finished at the prayer of Jodoc Vydt. By this verse the 6th of
May invites you to see that which has been done, 1432." This
inscription was covered over with paint in the sixteenth century,
and only brought to light again in 1824. The forged documents
concerning Hubert's admission into the Guild of Saint Luke led
people to believe that he could not have undertaken the execution
of the Ghent altar-piece before the end of the year 1422, thus
allowing less than four years for his share in the undertaking.
0 5

But in the will of John De Visch, lord of Axel and Capelle, dated
1413, there is mention of a picture by "master Hubert," which
proves that he had qualified as a master prior to that date.
Unfortunately no trace has ever been found of the picture
thus bequeathed : we do not even know what subject it
represented. When Hubert died — 18th September 1426 — John had been
for sixteen months established as official painter to the Duke of
Burgundy, and of the time which elapsed between this date and that
of the completion of the altar-piece, more than fourteen months were
spent by him in accompanying the embassy to Portugal ; besides this
he was absent on other secret journeys for Philip, and of course must
have had much of his time taken up in designing and executing
pictures for him and for members of his court, so that no very
great portion of this interval can have been devoted to complet
ing his brother's work. The contention, then, that Hubert did
but begin the work and that John spent years over its completion,
thus falls to the ground.
As we have seen, Hubert must already have executed pictures
in 141 3, and we may take it for granted that he had acquired a
considerable reputation, for an important undertaking such as this
altar-piece would not have been entrusted to any one of inferior
merit. It is true that until quite recently this was the only work
of his concerning which we had documentary evidence, but, as will
be seen later, there are, in addition to one authenticated panel, a
number of unsigned paintings which bear far more affinity to the
Adoration of the Lamb than do the works which are known to
be by John. That they have been ascribed to John is not, after
all, so very extraordinary. The elder brodiexJjvj__dja^etly-- as a
craftsman ; he did not, it seems, sign T-isworks, and he died
without reaping the glory due to- him for _±_rfinest of all his
pictures. John, on the contrary, was a man who was widely
known ; at the time of Hubert's death he had already attained re
putation in Holland as the official painter of John of Bavaria,
and had entered the service of the Duke of Burgundy, by whom
he was repeatedly sent to foreign courts ; during fourteen years he
continued to grow more and more famous ; the town of Bruges,
in which he resided during the greater part of that time, was a
centre for trade, and one of the wealthiest and most visited capitals
of Europe ; he signed his pictures, too, or at least many of them.
6

Moreover, there is a notable difference between the art of the two
brothers. Hubert, in the Adoration of the Lamb, gave to the
world an ideal example of the religious art of mediaeval times
when that art had arrived at its highest perfection; he was evidently
a man deeply imbued with the mystical spirit of his time, and in
his pictures we find his subjects treated in a reverential dignified
manner, as nearly approaching the sublime as has ever been the
case. His mind was lifted up above the things of earth : he used
material objects only as necessary to the expression of heavenly
ideas. John, on the other hand, was one of the initiators of an
entirely new school of thought : he studied and strove to depict in all
its beauty the world around him ; his talent in this direction was
truly marvellous ; not only was he accurate and painstaking to the
last degree, but he took the trouble to seek out and transfer to his
panel that which lay hidden from the casual observer. He found
his delight in discovering and in bringing before others the very
real beauties of this world, and in bestowing, as it were, a
permanent existence upon them, but spiritualise them he could
not. Therefore, when dealing with religious themes, he is dis
appointing ; his Madonnas and saints are excellent as regards
execution if considered merely as portraits of the models whom he
had before his eyes, but fall far short of even a low ideal of saintly
personages. In brief, we may say that Hubert was the repre
sentative of the grand traditions of mediaeval times of which many
were beginning to tire, while John gave expression to and satisfied
the new taste for the more realistic style of art. As the Renascence
advanced, John's works were more highly esteemed than Hubert's ;
the latter was gradually forgotten, and his pictures were credited to
his brother. We may with a fair amount of certainty assume that the panels
with the figures of Adam and Eve on the interior and the Sibyls
on the exterior are the work of John ; one noteworthy point is
that the height of these exceeds that of the central panel which
they covered when the shutters were closed ; the architectural
details also of the central portion of the Virgin's room do not
correspond with those at either side of it. Probably this com
prises the chief part of John's work on the picture ; he may,
perhaps, have retouched some ofthe details, — in particular, his own
portrait, in which he is represented wearing a black mantle and a
red rosary, possibly intended to signify his grief at the loss of his
7

brother, black and red being at that time the colours used 'in all
liturgical offices for the dead.
The design of this masterpiece is in exquisite harmony
throughout. Grand in its conception, it is none the less so in its
execution. The altar-piece as completed was divided into three
tiers of compartments. Those in the centre of the upper tier are
occupied by three life-size figures : the Eternal Father, with the
Blessed Virgin on the right and Saint John Baptist on the left.
Solemn and majestic in mien, the Eternal King of kings sits
enthroned in majesty, crowned with a tiara, His right hand raised
in the act of blessing, a sceptre in His left. The Virgin is dignified
and meditative in expression, yet withal graceful ; her richly
jewelled crown is beautifully symbolic of her virtues ; flowers
spring from the fillet thereof — the rose, the lily, and the harebell —
while above shine seven stars. In her hands she holds an open
book. Opposite sits Saint John Baptist, with hand upraised as
though to emphasise the Scripture which lies open upon his
knees. On the interior of the shutters on each side, is a group
of angels singing and playing. Hubert excels in imparting that
expression of strength and tenderness combined which befits the
messengers of God. Their vestments are rich in texture and
design, and are heavily laden with jewels.
The central panel of the second tier represents the Adoration
of the Lamb as described in the Apocalypse. In the midst of a
charming landscape stands an altar, upon which is the Lamb of
God; the Precious Blood streams from His pierced breast into a
chalice. Angels, some bearing the instruments of the Passion,
kneel in adoration around ; two in front of the altar are incensing
the Lamb. In the foreground is the fountain of Living Waters,
and hither from the four quarters of the globe come vast pro
cessions of the blessed, wending their way through a varied and
pleasant country. Two of these, headed by the Prophets and
Apostles, have already arrived and are kneeling on either side of
the fountain ; they occupy the greater part of the foreground ; the
group on the right represents the Jews and doctors of the Old
Law ; that on the left, the martyrs : deacons, monks and laymen.
The two processions coming from the background are formed,
one of confessors, and the other of holy virgins led by SS. Agnes,
Barbara, Katherine, and Dorothy. Above the altar hovers the Holy
Dove, whose rays shine down upon the happy multitudes. The
8

compartments of the shutters depict yet four more processions of
the faithful ; on the right are the knights, headed by the warrior
saints, George, Maurice and Gereon, and the Just Judges, two of
whom are supposed to be portraits of Hubert and John ; on the left
shutter are the saintly hermits, with Antony and Paul at their
head, Mary Magdalene and Mary of Egypt in the background,
and the pilgrims, whose chief is Saint Christopher.
The two compartments of the upper tier on the extreme right
and left contain the figures of Adam and Eve, and above them
two small groups representing the, sacrifice and death of Abel.
At one time these were thought so highly of that this altar-piece
was even known as the Adam and Eve picture.
The predella, long since lost — painted, it is said, in tempera —
represented the souls in Purgatory. On the exterior of the upper
shutters is shown the Annunciation, with half-length figures of the
prophets Micheas and Zacharias and two of the Sibyls above.
The lower divisions contain figures of Saint John the Evangelist
and Saint John Baptist, and the portraits ofthe donor, Jodoc Vydt,
and his wife, Isabella Borluut. The angel of the Annunciation
and the Virgin are graceful and full of expression. The portraits
of the donor and his wife are excellent, and if, as we believe, they
are the work of Hubert, he certainly rendered character quite as
well as his brother. In anatomy he is without doubt his superior,
and is free from the faults of weakness and thinness into which
John sometimes fell. Both the Van Eycks are in this respect
vastly superior to the painters who preceded them, at least in
the Netherlands, if not in Italy as well. The figures are powerful,
and yet lose none of their grace. The full flowing draperies are
well disposed. ' Throughout the whole composition the colour is
rich, vigorous, and well blended ; numerous as the figures are,
the grouping is so admirably arranged that not one is out of place,
while all combine to indicate the variety of nationality, rank, and
character which enters into the number of the elect. The tranquil
majesty of the three principal figures we may fairly say has never
been surpassed. It is no marvel that the picture caused the
sensation it did when it was first exposed to public gaze in 1432.
Crowds flocked to the ceremony when the chapel which it adorned
was consecrated, and were lost in admiration before the picture.
An old chronicler tells us that the people came like swarms of
bees. For three centuries it was the glory of that Flemish town,
9

though it but narrowly escaped destruction twice during that
time, — once from the iconoclasts in 1566, and again from fire in
1 64 1. Philip 11. of Spain, who is responsible for much of the
dispersion of the art treasures of the Netherlands, was considerate
enough to leave it, and contented himself with a copy by Michael
Cocxie, which is now divided, part being at Berlin, and part at
Munich. Another copy of the altar-piece is in the Antwerp
Museum. In 1794 the French carried off the central panels of
the original, but were compelled to restore them when peace was
concluded. These were then replaced in position, but the
shutters which had been previously removed were never replaced ;
these, with the exception of the panels with the figures of Adam
and Eve, were sold not long afterwards, and eventually found their
way to the Berlin Gallery ; later on, the Adam and Eve panels
went to the Brussels Gallery.

10

Ill
OTHER PICTURES BY HUBERT
The Royal Gallery at Copenhagen possesses the right shutter
of a triptych which formerly adorned an altar in the Lady Chapel
of S. Saviour's Church, Ghent. This altar-piece was in Hubert's
workshop on March 9th, 1426, when the donor, Robert Poortier,
a well-to-do citizen, and his wife Avezoete de Hoeghe, made their
will. The other shutter and central panel are lost, as is also a
statue of Saint Antony which Hubert had to polychrome. Robert
Poortier is represented kneeling in a landscape, protected by Saint
Antony, a venerable figure in the garb of a hermit, who has his
emblem, a bell, fastened on his right shoulder. The donor is an
ordinary sturdy Fleming, with nothing particularly noticeable
about him. On the reverse of the panel are the remains of a
figure of the angel Gabriel in grisaille. Notice in this work the
palmetto, Chamaerops humilis, a plant which grows abundantly
on the shores of the Mediterranean, but is not to be found further
north than the 43rd degree of latitude, proof sufficient that the
painter was acquainted with southern climes. Another point to
which it is important that attention be directed, is the remarkable
manner in which the landscape rises in the background, leaving
but a small portion of the panel for the sky.
Having no documentary evidence to guide us in deciding
which other pictures are to be ascribed to Hubert, we must draw
our conclusions from a comparison of the works themselves with
the Adoration of the Lamb and the panel just noticed. As we
shall see, none of the pictures proved to be by John van Eyck
approach to the dignity expressed throughout the masterpiece at
Ghent. But those which we are about to describe bear several
points of resemblance to it. 11

The first picture to which we would draw attention is the altar-
piece of Saint Jerome's chapel in the cathedral at Valencia, now
lost, but known to us through a copy which, though it must be
inferior by far to its original, yet preserves distinctive marks which
enable us to recognise the hand of the master. The copy comes
from the sacristy of the Hieronymite Church of Santa Maria de
Parral, near Segovia, founded in 1447 and consecrated in 1459, to
which period it may perhaps be referred, though it is probably
even of later date. It is now in the Prado Museum at Madrid.
The subject is the Fountain of Living Waters, or, as it is some
times called, the Triumph of the Church over the Synagogue.
The idea which the painter has sought to convey in this
composition is similar to that in the Ghent altar-piece — namely,
the abundant salvation vouchsafed to mankind through the merits
of the Lamb of God. The plan in each is modelled on the same
lines. Enthroned in heavenly glory, the Creator raises His hand
to bless mankind ; the Virgin sits reading on the right, Saint John
the Evangelist on the left is writing in a book. These three
figures are seated on a raised platform ; the Eternal Father's
throne is crowned by a beautiful Gothic spire, the tracery of which
is light and elegant, decorated with numerous figures of prophets
and apostles in canopied niches, and with the four Evangelistic
animals at the base. Immediately in front of the throne lies the
Lamb of God. Below on a lower terrace six angels are re
presented seated in a parterre gay with flowers, making Heaven
resound with melody from a variety of instruments. The meadow
is flanked on either side by a turret, within which are angels who
add to the celestial harmony by their singing. From beneath the
throne of God springs the crystal river of life, and it pours in a
stream from a fountain into an open basin, bearing on its water
the Bread of Life. In the right foreground are assembled the
representatives of the New Law, with a Pope at their head who
points to the water. On the left of the fountain the Doctors of
the Jewish Law, led by a blindfolded High-priest, stagger back in
confusion and dismay. The whole composition has been carefully
thought out and harmonises well in all its parts.
Undoubtedly also from the hand of Hubert is the charming
picture in the collection of Sir Francis Cook at Richmond,
representing the Three Maries at the Sepulchre. In the right
foreground are the three Holy Women, who have evidently just
12

arrived. Two are standing wrapt in wondering silence ; the third
has dropped on to her knees, and, resting her pot of ointment on
the corner of the tomb, with one hand stretched out open before
her, would seem to be addressing the angel. The sepulchre
occupies the centre of the panel, and its upper slab lies in a
slanting direction across the opening. The angel seated thereon,
with hand upraised, relates to the Holy Women the Resurrection of
the Lord. Beside the tomb three guards are slumbering heavily.
The landscape background is charming, and represents the city of
Jerusalem at a little distance. The figure of the angel is very
graceful and serene, with a fine touch of dignity, while the Holy
Women are admirably rendered, in a manner which shows how
deeply imbued Hubert must have been with the spirit that rightly
gfasps^and sympathises" with the truths of the Gospel. The
intense sorrow through which they have passed has left its trace
upon their countenances. There is undoubting faith depicted,
great peace, even some slight eagerness on the part of the
kneeling Mary ; but Hubert would seem to imply that it is not
until they shall have seen the Lord that the full tide of Easter joy
can reach them and all sadness be banished.
The draperies flow with much ease and grace. Notice, too,
the care bestowed on every detail of the accoutrements of the
three soldiers. An important item in the picture which must not
be overlooked,, is the architecture in the background. Unlike
anything in the Low Countries, it reminds one in both form and
colour of the red brick architecture of Padua, though here the
material is evidently tufa. The figures, moreover, of a southern
type, and the presence here again of the palmetto and of other
tropical shrubs and flowers, is conclusive proof that the painter
had visited the South of Europe.
A small Calvary picture in the Museum at Berlin has several
points in common with Sir F. Cook's picture, and may be classed
as a genuine work of Hubert. The arrangement of the landscape
and the architecture are identical in style. The face of Christ is
full of expression, and the pose of the Blessed Virgin and Saint
John excellent, but very unlike any early Netherlandish representa
tion of the subject, and probably derived from an Italian source.
The arrangement of the draperies is not as good as in the two
authenticated pictures by Hubert, nor is the drawing of the figure
of Christ free from serious defects ; the limbs especially are thin,
13

weak, and out of proportion, evidently not studies from life, but
possibly from one or other of the early Crucifixes, such as those at
Bruges and Louvain, or from an earlier painting.
The Madonna with Saint Anne, and a Carthusian monk pro
tected by Saint Barbara, in the possession of Baron G Rothschild
at Paris, is most likely from the hand of Hubert. The Virgin is
represented standing beneath a canopy in a loggia ; a rich cloth of
honour hangs behind her, and a carpet is spread beneath her
feet. In her right arm she holds the Divine Child, who turns
towards the monk kneeling on the right and blesses him. This
is Herman Steenken of Suutdorp, vicar of the Carthusian nunnery
of Saint Anne in the desert {ter Woestine) near Bruges, from 1402
to 1404, and from 1406 until his death on the 23rd of April 1428.
He is protected by Saint Barbara, who has one hand on his
shoulder, and with the other holds out a palm branch to Our Lord.
Her emblem, a tower, may be seen just outside the loggia. On
the opposite side is Saint Anne, who holds three crowns in her
hands. The background is an exquisite bit of landscape painting ;
it shows us a town built on either side of a beautiful broad river ;
the distinctness with which the view is given is marvellous. The
whole composition is prettily arranged, and forms a most restful
little group. The Virgin is dignified, yet has a look of simplicity
and modesty, while tKe~T_ ivine Infahtri-Tan excellent representa
tion of babyhood, perhaps the best ever executed by either Hubert
or John. The Saint Barbara may well be taken as the painter's
ideal of a virgin, and the portrait of Herman Steenken shows us
an intelligent, kindly, and wholly reverent monk. The cloth of
honour is of very handsome pattern ; the architecture of the loggia
is quite unlike that in John's signed works, in that it is not real
but mere theatrical scenery, in style Italian, as are also the details
of Saint Barbara's tower, the statuette of the god Mars within
which has the appearance of a classical bronze. The drapery is
perhaps a little stiff, particularly that of the mantles of the Blessed
Virgin and Saint Anne. The picture must have been painted at
Bruges, between 1402 and 1428, probably about 1415, as in
another panel formerly at Burleigh House, the same monk
appears to be ten or twelve years older.
In the Louvre at Paris is a picture which must be from the
same hand as that belonging to Baron Rothschild, since the very
same town, with its flowing river crossed by a bridge occurs in
14

the background. On the left, within a loggia, the Madonna is
seated with the Infant on her lap ; an angel flying above is about
to place a crown upon her head. Opposite kneels the chancellor
Rolin, with hands joined, at a prayer-desk upon which a book lies
open. Chancellor Rolin was a wealthy, and in some respects a
very generous man ; according to report, he was extremely just —
in all probability he carried this virtue to harshness — for here he
is represented as an elderly man of severe, almost forbidding
aspect. The pavement of the loggia is well tiled in a good pattern.
Without, at the further end of a pleasant terraced garden, is a
crenelated wall, over which two persons are looking out at the river
below. The background is most skilfully executed, a large number
of minute figures being introduced. In this picture Hubert has
fallen into the mistake of allowing the draperies to be far too full,
thereby greatly lessening the simplicity and easy grace which we
find elsewhere. The colour is vivid and harmoniously blended.
A picture purchased many years ago in Lisbon by Lord
Heytesbury, and until recently in his collection, but now at New
York, may also be classed as one of Hubert's works. It represents
Saint Francis of Assisi in ecstasy receiving the stigmata. The
saint kneels in the right foreground, gazing up at the winged
Crucifix which appears in the sky above. His companion is in
a deep sleep close beside him. The scene is laid in a rocky
wilderness ; the bedding of the sandstone rock is a faithful
rendering of nature. In the distance, beyond a river, we get a
glimpse of a city. As the saint's habit is brown, this picture
cannot have been painted in the Low Countries, where the Friars
Minor wore grey at least until towards the end of the fifteenth
century. Moreover, we again notice the presence of the palmetto
and other southern shrubs. There is a replica of this panel with
variations in the Museum at Turin.
There is also a replica of the Rothschild Madonna, with the
figure of Saint Anne omitted, and with other variations, which
was probably painted ten or twelve years later for the Charter
house at Diest. It was afterwards in a private collection in
Holland, and later on in that of the Marquis of Exeter at
Burleigh House, and on the dispersal of that collection was
purchased by the Berlin Gallery.
These are all the works which can at present with any good
grounds be attributed to Hubert. We trust that in course of time

the ardent research carried on by lovers of Early Netherlandish
art may be rewarded, and that the clearing up of the biography of
the Van Eycks, and perchance the discovery of some of the long-
lost works, may establish more firmly the fame of the great artist
concerning whom so much at present rests upon conjecture.

16

IV
DATED PICTURES BY JOHN VAN EYCK
It is as a painter of portraits that John van Eyck has given us the
greatest proofs of his genius, and undoubtedly he merits to be con
sidered one of the foremost in this respect that the world has ever
seen. His men and women seem to be living realities, so strongly
does the personality of each appeal to us, for Van Eyck not only
correctly delineated the features of his patrons, but studied them
until he grasped and could transfer to his panel the characteristics
of each one. Flattery was beneath him ; we see each as he or
she was in life, plain or well-featured as the case might be — every
wrinkle, every mole or hair has been carefully noted — but more
than this, John van Eyck strove faithfully to convey the imprint
of the mind upon the countenance as far as it had been indelibly
traced by the hand of time. Faults as well as virtues are set down
with perfect frankness. We can see that the man with the pinks
was unamiable in disposition as well as unattractive in feature ;
Arnolfini, in the National Gallery picture, is too sanctimonious
by far for our English taste, and his wife is a somewhat insipid
creature ; nevertheless there is an unmistakeable stamp of genuine
ness about the quaintness of this couple ; while, on the other hand,
the painter's wife is decidedly a woman of strong character, in
telligent and sympathetic ; and the other two portraits in the
National Gallery and that of Jan De Leeuw in the Vienna Gallery
show us men of intellect, differing widely in many respects, but all
straightforward and manly.
In all his pictures of religious subjects, regarded from the point J
of view of the ideal, John van Eyck is disappointing. He never
rose above material things — he painted what was before him with
b 17

exquisite skill, rendering even the most minute details in a
marvellous manner, but beyond that he could not go. He seems
to have been devoid of the imaginative faculties, the deep
reverence and contemplative spirit essential to the _producti6rfbf
works of a true devotional type. Therefore it is not surprising
that his Madonnas are excellent portraits of the homely Flemish
women whom he chose as his models, comely at least according to
his idea if not according to ours, but utterly lacking the dignity,
the refinement, purity and intense spirituality which belong to
the Mother of Our Lord. With his saints it is the same — there is
nothing in his representations of them to raise the mind above
the things of earth ; in fact, in some instances they have the con
trary tendency, and are rendered ridiculous by the sharp contrast
which they present to our ideals.
John did not succeed in harmonising his colour as well as his
brother did, nor yet in producing such rich mellow tints ; where
rie excelled was in the accuracy and minuteness with which he
rendered detail, and in the marvellous finish which he gave to his
paintings — a finish so carefully manipulated that sometimes not
a stroke of the brush is visible. Perhaps the best examples of his
skill in this respect are the portraits of Timothy, and of John
Arnolfini and his wife in the National Gallery, which one may
examine with a strong magnifying-glass, and yet only reveal with
greater distinctness the tiniest details therein depicted. At times
his colour is so faulty in tone as to be even unpleasant — take, for
instance, the Van der Paele picture in the Bruges Academy, in
which the flesh tints are hard and red. His drawing of the hand
is another noticeable point : often, though not always, it is too
small and weak, with fingers that taper unduly ; his draperies, too,
are voluminous, angular, and stiff, contrasting unfavourably with
the graceful flowingdines to be seeain Hubert's work.
i The earliest work by John which is known to us is a panel,
signed and dated October 30th, 142 1, now at Chatsworth.
Unfortunately very little, if any, of John's work remains, to so
great an extent has the picture been repainted ; its chief point of
interest lies in the fact that it shows us that he was painting as
early as 142 1. The subject of the panel is the consecration of
Thomas a Becket as archbishop, and tradition asserts that it was
executed for the Duke of Bedford, Regent of France, and was
given by him to Henry v. There is this much to be said in
18

favour of the story : it is quite as likely as not that it was an un
finished work like the Saint Barbara at Antwerp, possibly designed
to represent the consecration of some foreign bishop, and that it
may have been acquired by the Duke, who was often in the Low
Countries in Van Eyck's time. The next picture concerning the
date of which we have any certain knowledge is eleven years later
in date. Ten genuine signed pictures by John van Eyck are known
to us, and of these the first in order of date is that inscribed
Leal Souvenir in the National Gallery. It represents a man of
strongly-marked features and intelligent bearing, holding a roll of
manuscript in his right hand. His complexion is rather brown,
and the hollowness of his cheeks accentuates the prominence of
the cheek-bones. He wears a dark red dress trimmed at the
neck and cuffs with fur, and a green chaperon, with a long scarf
hanging down in front over his right shoulder, and he is stand
ing behind a low parapet, on the front of which is painted
the inscription Tymotheos (in Greek characters), and below,
Leal Souvenir, and then the signature of the painter as follows :
" Factu afio. Dfii. 1432 10. die Octobris. a Ioh. de Eyck."
About the same time that this portrait was executed, John
painted a Madonna and Child, now in the possession of Mr. Weld
Blundell of Ince Hall, a tiny panel (iof in. by 7 J in.), yet a
marvellous specimen of the painter's talent both with regard to
the finish of its details and the vigorous treatment of colour. The
Virgin is seated on a dais of rich green and gold brocade, with a
red border and fringe to the canopy above. Her dress consists of
a full loose blue tunic bordered with white fur at the hem and
cuffs, and with a jewelled band at the neck ; a broad red belt
ornamented with gold studs, and an ample red mantle, the folds of
which lie on the ground about her. Her luxuriant light brown
hair is bound by a circlet of pearls having a jewel in the centre,
and falls in wavy tresses over her shoulders. The Child seated on
her knees has some white drapery thrown round Him, and is turning
over the leaves of a book which His Mother holds. This is one
of John van Eyck's best representations of the Virgin. Her face,
though somewhat long, has a pleasing expression and is not
wanting in dignity, while the Child is happy and playful and
without the moody look which is generally the defect in this
painter's pictures of the Divine Infant. The hands and feet are
19

well drawn. A richly coloured carpet is spread before the dais.
The room is dimly lit by a window glazed in tiny lozenges. On
the table before the window are two oranges and a metal vase with
crystal cover. A pricket chandelier with taper and two sconce
branches, and a white metal pot with brass mountings, are placed
on a low aumbrye to the left of the Virgin, in the lock of which is
a key with three others attached to it. Close by a brass pan
stands on the floor. As a master of detail, John van Eyck is
unsurpassed, and it is in his smallest panels that he is at his best.
He concentrated his attention on each little thing so as to depict
it as perfectly as could be, and his love of brightness is shown by
the introduction of small objects, such as the oranges and metal
vessels in this picture, to catch and reflect the light. Unfortun
ately, owing to the warping of the panel, the picture is injured
by a general crackling of its surface, and many parts of it, par
ticularly the face of the Virgin, are thereby spoilt, but the colour
has retained its warmth and vigour, and has yet the full charm of
harmonious blending and softness of tone imparted to Tt by the
hand of the master.
In 1433, John painted the portrait of an elderly man in a red
chaperon, which is twisted round his head like a turban, and a
cloak with a fur collar opening at the neck to disclose a little band
of white. This is a powerful piece of work, firm in outline, rich
in colour, and in a state of perfect preservation. It is dated October
2 ist, 1433, and hangs in the National Gallery. ^ "Beside it we
find the interesting portrait of John Arnolfini and his wife,
Jane de Chenany, standing with hands joined in their bedroom.
Giovanni, tall and thin, is a man of sad, indeed gloomy, expression,
and he has his right hand raised in an impressive manner. His
left hand is stretched out to his wife. His costume is a dark
green tunic, a claret-coloured cloak trimmed and lined with fur
which reaches to a little below the knee, and a very large and
curious hat. The lady's dress is of a somewhat bright green,
bordered and lined with fur, and raised in front to display her
under-robe of blue, which is also fur-trimmed. Her belt is red,
with gilt ornamentation. A double necklace of pearls is passed
twice round her neck, and her hair is drawn, according to the then
prevailing fashion, from off her forehead into two horns, over which
is thrown a beautifully frilled kerchief. While the arrangement
of this bit of drapery is exceedingly tasteful, that of her robe
20

is decidedly wanting in grace, being massed up in front in stiff
folds, a fault which is also to be observed in the Saint Katherine
and the Virgin of the Annunciation on the wings of the Dresden
triptych. The furniture of the room is solid and in good taste :
a bed with hangings and covering of rich crimson, a bench with
cushions and cover of the same hue and with curious carved
animals at the ends, and a carved aumbrye are the principal items.
On the wall hangs a circular convex mirror, the frame of which is
ornamented with ten medallions, bearing representations of the
various scenes of the Passion ; close by, an amber rosary is hang
ing on a peg. It is noteworthy that in this mirror is reflected not
only that portion of the room comprised in the picture, but an
oak portal beyond and two additional figures are clearly dis
tinguishable, probably the painter and his wife, who was, it is said,
the sister of Arnolfini's wife. In the middle of the room hangs a
chandelier of excellent workmanship, with one taper still burning
on it. Before the window is a small table on which lie three
oranges ; another orange is placed on the window sill. There is
a handsome carpet beside the bed, with the lady's dainty pair of red
pattens in the background ; whilst the clumsier foot-gear of
Giovanni may be seen in the foreground, as also a lively little
griffon terrier which is painted with lifelike accuracy.
This picture merits to be considered as John van Eyck's
masterpiece, so far at least as regards technical perfection. We
have in it the same clear definition of outline that has been re
marked upon in his earlier pictures ; we have, too, the same
marvellous accuracy in depicting every tiny detail carried to an
even higher perfection than in the Ince Madonna, for if one looks
into this picture with a magnifying-glass, it will be only to find
how truly wonderful is the manner in which the most minute
objects are executed. The flesh tints are admirable and show a
transparency of shadow in their rendering which is extremely
remarkable. The colouring is full of vigour and most carefully-
blended ; in short, the picture taken all round is an exquisite gem.
The signature is painted on the wall above the mirror ; it runs
thus : " Iohannes de Eyck fuit hie. 1434."
It is disappointing to find that the next picture in order of
date, executed but two years later than the Arnolfini portrait, falls
far short of it in every way. It is a votive picture of the Virgin
and Child, with Saints Donatian and George and the donor, Canon
21

George Van der Paele, painted for the collegiate church of Saint
Donatian at Bruges, and now in the Museum of the Academy in
that town.
Within the choir apse of a church — probably based on that of
Saint Donatian at Bruges — we behold the Virgin enthroned; a
handsome cloth of honour of woollen material, with a floral
pattern of diverse hues displayed upon a blue ground, hangs
behind the throne, the two front posts of which are ornamented
with niches containing statuettes of Adam and Eve, and each
surmounted by a sculptured group, the subjects represented being
the death of Abel, and Samson taking honey from the lion's
mouth. A costly Oriental carpet covers the two steps of the
throne and the ground in front of it. The Virgin's robe of blue
is cut square, and adorned with a jewelled band at the neck ; over
this is thrown a large red mantle, lined deep olive green, which
has a charming border worked in gold and precious stones, and
outlined by a row of small pearls. Long crimped hair flowing
down over her shoulders is crowned by a narrow jewelled gold
circlet. Her left hand holds a rosary and supports the Infant
Christ, who, nude, is seated on a linen cloth on her lap. To the
right stands S. Donatian, seen in profile. He is vested as an
archbishop : a white alb and amice, a magnificent cope of blue and
gold velvet brocade, with orfreys handsomely embroidered with
figures of the Apostles, having a circular morse composed of a
large red jewel encircled by six pearls ; and a mitre of a matted
gold ground adorned with precious stones. Gloves and several
fine rings cover his hands. In his left he holds, with its veil, an
archiepiscopal cross of superb workmanship, while his right bears
his emblem, a wheel with axle and spokes complete, on which five
lighted candles are arranged in a circle. His whole bearing is
dignified, and the head is of a good intellectual type.
On the Virgin's left kneels the donor, Canon George Van der
Paele, in a red cassock and long white surplice, with his almuce
thrown over his arm. His left hand holds open before him a
prayer-book with an outer covering of sow-skin, and in his right
are his spectacles. Behind him stands his patron, Saint George,
fully equipped in armour ; across his gorget is inscribed the word
" Adonai." A lance bearing a pennon with a red cross on a white
ground, his traditional banner, rests against his left shoulder.
In this more than in any other of his works John van Eyck
22

has been most unhappy in his choice of models. Excepting the
Saint Donatian, whose majestic figure at once compels our atten
tion, there is not the slightest attempt at idealisation in the picture.
The Virgin is a woman of the lower class, lacking all refinement ;
the Child is even worse, being a puny infant, short and thin, and
curiously aged-looking, seemingly terrified at the sight of Saint
George, which is hardly in agreement with the fact that with one
hand He is quietly stroking a paraquet, and with the other ac
cepting a bunch of flowers from His Mother ; while Saint George
is merely a foolish-looking country youth, dressed up in armour
for the occasion, and wholly unable to repress a grin as he salutes
Our Lord, raising his casquet with his right hand and laying his
left upon the Canon's shoulder. The chief redeeming feature of
the picture, in addition to the figure of Saint Donatian already
spoken of, lies in the truly admirable portrait of the Canon.
Veracity is indeed rampant here. No one would contradict the
statement that this is not a flattering likeness, for wrinkles furrow
the heavy face in every direction, and his double chin and mis
shapen ears are about as ungainly as they well could be, yet every
line is expressive ; we can take in at a glance what manner of man
he was. The drawing of the architecture which forms the back
ground is good, and this part of the picture is well preserved, but
the draperies are partially destroyed, the panel having suffered
through cleaning and retouching. Moreover, the colour is not
as broadly handled as hitherto ; traces of manipulation obtrude
in every direction, the flesh tints are hard and too ruddy in tone,
and the hands, with the exception of the Canon's, are faulty, being
too small and stiff. This is the largest of John's works : it
measures 47^ ins. by 59^ ins.
In the year that witnessed the production of the Bruges
Madonna, 1436, John van Eyck painted another portrait, that
of John De Leeuw, now in the Vienna Gallery. This is a fine
head, the broad intellectual forehead, keen glance and firm mouth
and chin all indicating a strong character, such a type of man as
John loved to paint. He is a man of thirty-five years of age, and
holds a gold ring between the thumb and forefinger of his right
hand. The beauty of this portrait is marred by the flesh tints
being of the same hard, unpleasant ruddiness which characterises
the last-mentioned panel.
To the year 1437 belongs the Saint Barbara in the Museum
23

at Antwerp. This is an unfinished picture, but every detail of the
design has been carefully drawn, though only the sky is coloured.
In the foreground Saint Barbara is seated, deep in meditation,
with a book resting open on her lap and a palm branch in her
left hand. Her dress is very long and full, and is arranged in
folds on the ground around her. In the middle distance a
beautiful Gothic tower is being built, and we see many men
busily engaged in the various kinds of labour necessary to its
construction, so that, in addition to its beauty as a work of art,
a special interest attaches to this picture, as showing exactly how
such operations were carried on in the Middle Ages. The back
ground is formed by a pleasing bit of landscape with hills and
trees. Another exquisite little panel, also in the Antwerp Gallery, is
that of the Madonna by the fountain. She is represented standing
on a grass plot in, front of a slightly raised terrace, which is covered
with lovely flowers, holding in her arms the Divine Infant, who
with one arm thrown round her neck is reaching up to kiss her.
There is a pensive tenderness about^ the_ Virgin which savours a
little of the sublime, and atones for the lack 0-n_eauTyrT.r~-_er
features, but the Child is only a puny infant. There is rather too
much drapery — John seems to have clothed his models always in
robes of huge dimensions — and the folds hang stiffly. Two angels
hold a richly brocaded cloth of honour behind the Virgin. The
fountain on the right is of metal, with four jets of water playing
into a basin. Once again the painter has blundered in making his
tones too red and opaque. This panel bears the date 1439.
The portrait of John van Eyck's wife, which hangs in the
Academy at Bruges, was likewise painted in 1439, and the inscrip
tion tells us that she was at the time thirty-three years old. This
work originally hung in the chapel of the Guild of Painters at
Bruges, together, it is said, with that of the master. The latter is
lost. That of his wife is certainly a very pleasing likeness. Good
clear outlines and the painter's characteristic skill in dealing with
ornament place it on a level with the earlier portraits. The lady
looks older than her years, and though she cannot exactly be
described as beautiful, we can see that she is an intelligent,
capable, clear-headed woman, sympathetic, yet not addicted to
sentimentality. Her hair is drawn off her forehead into two horns
according to the fashion then in vogue, and her white frilled head-
24

kerchief is drawn with marvellous precision. Her dress is of
scarlet cloth, with a broad collar of grey fur, the sleeves bordered
with similar fur, and a green silk sash. The hands are perhaps
the best that John van Eyck ever drew.
The last of the pictures concerning which we have documentary
evidence, and in fact that upon which John van Eyck was employed
at the time of his death in 1440, is a triptych now in the possession
of M. G. Helleputte of Louvain. It was formerly in the church
of S. Martin at Ypres, but between 1757 and 1760 it was removed
thence to the bishop's palace, and when, at the close of the last
century, Ypres was taken by the French, it was sold for a trifle,
and passing from one person to another at length came into the
hands of its present owner.
Within a vaulted portico in the Romanesque style of architec
ture, the Virgin stands holding the Divine Child in her arms. A
very ample mantle of scarlet cloth, with a broad border richly
embroidered| in gold and precious stones, clothes her from head to
foot and falls upon the ground. Her attitude and expression is
graceful and dignified ; her hair, parted down the centre, falls over
her shoulders, and she wears a gold crown adorned with pearls and
precious stones. The Child is nude, and, clutching His Mother's
robe with His left hand, extends His right, which holds a scroll,
towards a priest kneeling on the left. This is the donor, Nicolas
van Maelbeke, provost of the church of Saint Martin at Ypres.
He is habited in a cope of blue brocade, with orfreys embroidered
with figures of the Apostles. He holds a Book of Hours and a
provost's staff, adorned with diaper work of fleur-de-lys within
lozenges surmounted by statuettes of saints in niches, and ending
in a finial representing the Charity of S. Martin. The back
ground beyond the portico is filled by a landscape crowded with
figures and buildings. The pavement within the portico is of
coloured stones arranged in a geometrical pattern. The defect
common to so many of John's works, of having the draperies too
full and stiff, is also to be observed here.
The interior and exterior of both wings are divided into two
parts. On the inner left wing in the lower compartment is Gideon
with a lance standing before an angel ; in the upper, the Burning
Bush is represented growing in a garden enclosed by a moat in
which swans are swimming ; in the distance is a landscape with a
manor, some wooden houses, an inn, a castle and people on horse-
25

back, and on every roof storks may be seen. The Bush spreads
out, and at about two thirds of its height occupies the whole width
of the panel. A half length figure of the Eternal Father rises
from amidst the flames. He is clothed in an alb, a cope of cloth
of gold, and a tiara. His right hand is raised in benediction, and
in His left He holds a globe surmounted by a crystal cross
terminating in fleur-de-lys. At the top of the panel are two
angels, one of whom has a sword wherewith to guard the gate of
Paradise. In the lower half ofthe inner right wing, Aaron, in an alb and
green cope with embroidered orfreys, kneels at a prayer-desk
holding a blossoming rod. The upper half represents the closed
gate spoken of by the prophet Ezechiel ; it is flanked at the angles
by four cylindrical towers ; above the gateway is the figure of a
woman blindfolded — the Synagogue — holding the tables of the
Law reversed, and a banner, the staff of which is falling to pieces ;
beside her are Moses and three prophets holding scrolls. The
framework of the door is adorned with fourteen statuettes of
prophets, and the door itself is set with precious stones. Flowers
spring up in front of the gateway. The roof is red, and the
cresting thereof, both at the base and the top, is very elegant in
design ; above the battlements are sixteen statues in niches.
High up is an angel within a medallion, and beneath Adam and
Eve standing under the tree from which the serpent is speaking
to them. The subjects in the lower portions of the wings are
merely sketched.
On the exterior the Tiburtine Sibyl in a turban head-dress
stands pointing to the sky, to attract the attention of the Emperor
who is kneeling opposite her on the other wing ; he is crowned,
and has a long pointed beard ; his hands are joined, and he raises
them, as also his head, and looks up at a half length figure of
the Virgin with Her Child which appears in the ellipse above the
Sibyl. In the upper compartment of the other wing are three
angels sounding trumpets.
The authenticity of this panel is proved by two nearly con
temporary documents of the fifteenth century. The first is a
silver-point drawing preserved in the Albertina at Vienna, which
had until recently always been attributed to Van Eyck's hand.
The second is another silver-point drawing in the Germanic
Museum at Nuremberg attributed to Roger Van der Weyden.
26

These two drawings are important, for they give us the central
panel in the unfinished state in which it was left by Van Eyck.
The first is in a very good state of preservation ; the second has
suffered somewhat.
It is noteworthy that in the drawings the circlet confining the
Virgin's hair is of very simple pattern. Evidently the jewellery
of late fifteenth century workmaYiship which adorns it in the
triptych is an addition, as is also the embroidery on the neckband
of her robe and the border of her mantle. The scroll in the
Infant's hand is more simple in the drawings than in the picture,
and bears no inscription. So also the donor has a large tonsure,
but no moustache or beard, and is moreover better featured. His
cope is outlined, but there is no trace of the brocaded pattern, nor
of the embroidered orfreys. The landscape background is not
represented on either of these drawings.

27

V
OTHER PICTURES BY JOHN VAN EYCK
The Berlin Gallery possesses a portrait known'as The Man with
the Pinks, which was probably painted about the year 1436, and re
presents an elderly individual of by no means prepossessing appear
ance. His face is deeply wrinkled, his eyes have a puffy line of
flesh beneath them, his mouth droops at the corners and is of a
hard, somewhat coarse, type, while his ears are specially hideous,
being large and prominent : altogether he has a very unpleasant
cast of countenance. But John van Eyck has been faithful to his
love of veracity — not a feature is softened down — he has portrayed
the man as he was in the most lifelike manner conceivable. He
wears a dark grey coat with fur collar and cuffs, which is suffi
ciently low at the neck to allow the brocaded tunic beneath to
appear, and a large broad-brimmed beaver hat. Around his neck
is a silver chain from which hangs a tau cross with the bell of
Saint Anthony attached thereto. In his right hand, on the third
finger of which he carries a fine ring, he holds three wild pinks.
The picture is unsigned, and so far it has not been discovered
who this person was.
Another beautiful work, which has but recently become known,
and which has found a resting place in the Berlin Gallery, is a
portrait as fine in execution as any hitherto described. It re
presents Baldwin de Lannoy, lord of Molembaix,1 a member of
the embassy sent by Philip to the Portuguese court to treat for
the hand of Isabella. The portrait, painted on a panel, is nearly
half life size. Baldwin de Lannoy is seen almost full face with
1 The identity of the person here represented is proved by a MS. in the Town
Library at Arras, in which it is faithfully reproduced. 28

the light falling directly upon him. He looks out of the picture to
the right and not towards the spectator. He is wearing a robe of
purple and green damask, the collar and cuffs of which are trimmed
with fur, and beneath it a close fitting tunic with a collar which
opens sufficiently to display a little white linen. On his head is a
large felt hat. With both hands he grasps a wand, his insignia of
office as chamberlain of the Duke ; there is a ring on the little finger
of his right hand. Around his shoulders hangs the enamelled
collar of the Order of the Golden Fleece, instituted on the
occasion of Philip's marriage with Isabella, which enables us to
fix approximately the date of the portrait ; for these collars were
made by Jean Peutin, a Bruges goldsmith, and were presented
to the knights of the Order on St. Andrew's Day, 1431. The
picture is posterior to this date, and was probably painted about
1436. In style and execution it resembles the portrait of the
Man with the Pinks. It is strikingly lifelike and exquisitely
finished in tone ; such a marvellous rendering of light and shade
has never been surpassed.
The Dresden Gallery possesses a very beautiful little triptych,
in which the Blessed Virgin is represented seated in a church.
Her throne is placed at the end of a rather narrow chapel,
flanked on either side by an aisle from which it is separated by
a series of stilted arches. The columns have richly sculptured
capitals and are surmounted by statues in niches. Every detail
of the architecture is exquisitely rendered. The throne is
provided with a handsome canopy and cloth of honour of dark
green brocaded damask, and an Oriental carpet is laid beneath the
Virgin's feet. She is clothed in a robe cut square and adorned
with a richly jewelled border at the neck : over this is an ample
red mantle with a similar, but wider, border. Her hair, confined
by a narrow circlet, falls in long waved tresses over her shoulders.
The Divine Child, seated on a white cloth on her lap, holds a
scroll in His right hand.
The right shutter of the triptych is occupied by the donor —
supposed to be one Michael Giustiniani — who, clad in an olive
green habit, kneels under the protection of Saint Michael. His
hands are raised in prayer. The archangel is in full armour, and
holds his helmet in his left hand and a lance rests against his
right shoulder. On the left shutter, Saint Katherine, in a superb
robe of blue and ermine, with a richly jewelled crown upon her
29

head, stands reading a book which she holds in her left hand.
Her right rests on a sword, one of her emblems — the other, a
wheel, lies at her feet. Through the half open chapel window we
get a glimpse of the surrounding country. On the exterior of the
shutters is the Annunciation painted in grisaille.
Once again in this work John van Eyck has been marvellously
skilful in his elaboration of the accessories of the scene, but he is
notably unhappy in the draping of Saint Katherine's robe, and his
figures are not at all inspiring.
Another of John's Madonnas, that in the Stadel Institute at
Frankfort, is very similar in design to the I nee Hall picture. The
Virgin is seated in a room, in which various small homely objects,
such as the brass bowl on the floor, the water-bottle standing on the
aumbrye, and the two apples on the window sill, are introduced.
The throne is more elaborate than that in the I nee panel ; its up
rights are finished off by beautifully modelled bronze figures of
animals, and the canopy, cloth of honour, and carpet are of good bold
pattern. The Virgin wears the usual ample cloak, adorned with a
border embroidered with precious stones. Her flowing hair is
slightly confined by a narrow circlet of pearls. Her face is rather
heavy, and lacks refinement. She is suckling the Divine Infant,
who is seated on her lap, and who is perhaps the ugliest of all John's
representations of Him, being a fat, utterly unidealised babe.
The Gallery of the Hermitage at Saint Petersburg contains
a picture of the Annunciation which is universally accepted as
genuine. It inappropriately represents the scene as taking place,
not in a room, but in the nave of a church of late Romanesque
style, in the middle of which the Virgin is seated with a book lying
open before her. The angel on the right, clad in a rich cope and
holding a sceptre in his left hand, salutes her full of grace ; whilst
Mary, her head slightly inclined towards him, and with her hands
raised, answers, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord," and amidst
rays of light coming through the clerestory window the Dove
flies towards her. The Virgin bears considerable resemblance to
the Madonna in the Van der Paele altar-piece, while the angel's
face and attitude remind one of the Saint George in the same
picture. It is another instance of too literal portraiture of ill-
chosen models. All the accessories on the other are painted with
marvellous skill. 30

VI
PICTURES ASCRIBED TO VAN EYCK
It is unfortunately a fact that some people are ready to declare
works to be by John van Eyck with barely any grounds at all — •
or at least very insufficient grounds — for so doing. From amongst
the numerous works which have been thus dealt with, we shall
select the few which seem to have some claim to rank as genuine.
The Berlin Gallery possesses a Head of Christ which is
dignified, yet gentle in mien. It, however, lacks the strength and
individuality of character which John loved and which is commonly
to be found in his pictures. Although there is an inscription :
" Ioh63- de Eyck me fecit et apleviit anno 1438. 31 Ianuarii —
Als ixh xan," we hesitate to accept it as genuine; it is probably
the work of an imitator of Hubert van Eyck, possibly it may be
an old copy of an original picture.
In the same gallery there is a portrait of Michael Arnolfini,
brother of the John Arnolfini in the National Gallery picture.
This is well executed, and is very likely genuine. There is a
great resemblance between the two brothers — indeed, at a first
glance one would take them to be the same person, so peculiar
and strongly marked are their features ; but Michael is not as
affected or priggish-looking as Giovanni ; his old-world gravity
commands our respect at least, if not our sympathy. Another
portrait, supposed to be that of the Cardinal of Saint Cross, in the
Vienna Gallery, is very lifelike, and in many respects strikes one as
having similarity with John's portraits : the firmness of outline, the
exactitude with which every furrow and wrinkle is drawn, the size
and prominence of the ears, are all noteworthy. The face is not
unpleasing, the keen scrutinizing glance being counterbalanced by
a playful smile about the mouth. 31

The diptych representing the Madonna standing in the church
of the Cistercian Abbey of the Dunes, with the Abbot, Christian
De Hondt, kneeling before her, now in the Antwerp Gallery, is a
work concerning the date of which there is no doubt, for that on
the picture, 1499, is genuine and coincides with the abbacy of
Christian De Hondt. The dexter leaf of this charming little work
is now called a copy after John van Eyck, the contention being
that it is taken from a picture of the Madonna standing in a
church, which belongs to the Berlin Gallery. This latter is most
emphatically not by Van Eyck, and we venture to suggest that it
is, on the contrary, another copy of a lost original. In the same
category must be placed a drawing of the same subject in the
collection of Sir J. C. Robinson, London. The Antwerp panel is
beautifully executed ; every detail of the Abbot's room is perfect ;
and it would be most interesting to know who was the artist to
whose talent we are indebted for it.
Other portraits by John van Eyck which no longer exist, but
of which we still possess copies in the Copenhagen and Berlin
Galleries, are those of Jacqueline, niece of John of Bavaria, in
whose service John was from 1422-1424, and of Bonne d'Artois,
second wife of Philip of Burgundy.
Some silver-point drawings of heads at Berlin, Paris, and
Dresden are also attributed to John van Eyck, but are probably,
as those at Vienna and Nuremberg are certainly, fifteenth century
drawings after his pictures.

32

The Eternal Father. By Hubert van Eyck.
From the Altarpiece in the Cathedral, Ghent.

The Blessed Virgin. By Hubert van Eyck.
From the Altarpiece in the Cathedral, Ghent.

Saint John Baptist. By Hubert van Eyck.
From the Altarpiece in the Cathedral, Ghent.

Angels Singing. By Hubert van Eyck.
From the Shutters of the Ghent Altarpiece in the Royal Gallery, Berlin.

Angels Playing. By Hubert van Eyck.
From the Shutters of the Ghent Altarpiece in the Royal Gallery, Berlin.

PLATE VI.
The Adoration of the Lamb. By Hubert van Eyck. From the Altarpiece in the Cathedral, Ghent.

PLATE VII.
"The Knights of Christ" and "The Just Judges."
By Hubert van Eyck.
From the Shutters of the Ghent Altarpiece in the Royal Gallery, Berlin.

PLATE VIII

Robert Poortier praying, protected by Saint Antony. By Hubert van Eyck (with an added Panel by an Imitator of Van Dyck).
From the Painting in the Royal Gallery, Copenhagen.

PLATE IX.
The Three Maries at the Sepulchre. By Hubert van Eyck. From the Painting in the Collection of Sir F. Cook, Richmond.

The Chancellor Rolin kneeling before the Blessed Virgin and Child.
From the Painting in the Louvre.

By Hubert van Eyck.

PLATE XII.
Portrait of Timothy, 1432. By John van Eyck. From the Painting in the National Gallery, London.

John Arnolfini and his Wife, 1434. By John van Eyck. From the Painting
in the National Gallery, London.

PLATE XIV.
Portrait of John De Leeuw. By John van Eyck. From the Painting in the Imperial Gallery, Vienna.

Saint Barbara, 1437. By John van Eyck. From the unfinished Drawing in the Museum, Antwerp.

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PLATE XVI.
The Madonna by the Fountain, 1439. By Jonx van Eyck. From the Painting in the Museum, Antwerp.

PLATE XVII.
Portrait of his Wife. By John van Eyck.

PLATE XVIII.
Portrait of Baldwin de Lannoy, Lord of Molembaix. By John van Eyck.
From the Painting in the Royal Gallery, Berlin.

Triptych. The Blessed Virgin and Child, the Donor protected by Saint Michael, and Saint Katherine.
From the Painting in the Royal Gallery, Dresden.

By John van Eyck.

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PLATE XX,
The Blessed Virgin and Child. By John van Eyck. From the Painting in the Stadel Institute, Frankfort.
Portrait of the Cardinal of Saint Cross. By John van Eyck. From the Painting
in the Imperial Gallery, Vienna.

3 9002