List of works by Jan van Eyck

This is a complete list of the paintings, drawings and illuminated miniatures attributed to the Early Netherlandish artist Jan van Eyck. Only some twenty paintings are currently attributed to him; a great many others are assumed to be either lost or destroyed.

Van Eyck was the first major European artist to utilise oil painting. Although the use of oil paint preceded Van Eyck by many centuries, his virtuosic handling and manipulation and use of multiple half-transparent layers of paint, glazes, wet-on-wet and other techniques was such that Giorgio Vasari started the myth that Van Eyck had invented oil painting.Borchert (2008), 92–94.

About twenty surviving paintings are confidently attributed to him, as well as the Ghent Altarpiece (co-attributed to his brother Hubert) and some of the illuminated miniatures of the Turin-Milan Hours. All panels are dated between 1432 and 1439. Ten works are dated and signed with a variation of his motto ALS ICH KAN ("As I can").

Paintings

Image Title Date Current location DimensionsSignatures or inscriptionsGhent Altarpiecec. 1420-32St Bavo's Cathedral, Ghent3.4 m × 5.2 m, open view 3.4 m × 2.23 m, closed viewChronogram, poetry in Latin. Found in 1832. Possibly not original, post-mortem (2nd half of 16th century)Van de Waal, Hans. The linea summae tenuitatis of Apelles: Pliny's phrase and its interpreters //  Zeitschrift für Ästhetik und allgemeine Kunstwissenschaft, XII (1967), pp. 5-32.Herzner, Volker. The quatrain of "The Ghent altarpiece", again. Simiolus: Netherlands Quarterly for the History of Art, Vol. 37, No. 2 (2013–2014), pp. 95-99 CLAES, PAUL. “A New Reading of the Quatrain on the Ghent Altarpiece.” Oud Holland, vol. 135, no. 1, 2022, pp. 2–7. JSTOR, : Pictor Hubertus e Eyck. maior que nemo repertus Incepit . pondus . q[ue] Johannes arte secundus [Frater] perfecit. Judoci Vijd prece fretus VersU seXta MaI . Vos CoLLoCat aCta tUerI

(The painter Hubert van Eyck, greater than whom no one was found, began this work. His brother Jan, second in art, having completed this difficult task at the request of Joos Vijd, invites you by this verse to see the result on 6 May ).

Number 1432 is taken from chronogram.Portrait of a Man with a Blue Chaperonc. 1430Brukenthal National Museum, Sibiu22.5 cm × 16.6 cmThe painting is not signed or dated by van Eyck. Bears an imitation of the "AD" and date 1490 by an unknown hand.Saint Francis Receiving the Stigmatac. 1430-32Sabauda Gallery, Turin29.3 cm × 33.4 cmSaint Francis Receiving the Stigmata1430-32Philadelphia Museum of Art12.7 cm × 14.6 cmCrucifixion and Last Judgementc. 1430-40Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City56.5 cm × 19.5 cm eachNot signed.Portrait of Cardinal Niccolò Albergatic. 1431Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna34 cm × 29.5 cmLéal Souvenir1432National Gallery, London33.3 cm × 18.9 cmOn the parapet, imitation of carving, using Greek letters (with errors), and in Latin: TYΜ.ωΘΕΟϹ LEAL SOVVENIR ACTU[M] AN[N]O D[OMI]NI.1432.10. DIE OCTOBRIS.A.IOH[ANNE] DE EYCK (Timotheos Loyal Remembrance, or Faithful Souvenir Finished in the year of our Lord 1432 on the 10th day of October by Jan van Eyck)Portrait of a Man (Self Portrait?)1433National Gallery, London25.5 cm × 19 cmImitation of carving on the top of the original frame in Middle Dutch but using pseudo-Greek letters: AΛΣ IXH XAN (as I can) On the lower frame in Latin: JOHES DE EYCK ME FECIT ANO MCCCC.33. 21. OCTOBRIS (Jan van Eyck made me on 21 October 1433)Arnolfini Portrait1434National Gallery, London82 cm × 59.5 cmOn the wall above the mirror in Latin: JOHANNES DE EYCK FUIT HIC 1434 (Jan van Eyck was here 1434)Annunciation1434-36National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.90.2 cm × 34.1 cmAnnunciation1434-36Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, Madrid39 cm × 24 cmPortrait of Baudouin de Lannoy1435Gemäldegalerie, Berlin26 cm × 20 cmMadonna of Chancellor Rolin1435Louvre, Paris66 cm × 62 cm Old descriptions tell that the painting originally had a wooden frame painted illusionistically with inscriptions seemingly carved. Possibly with signature.Portrait of Jan de Leeuw1436Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna24.5 cm × 19 cmThe panel's borders with painted letters in the Flemish vernacular. The numerals are rendered in Arabic: IAN DE {LEEUW} OP SANT ORSELEN DACH / DAT CLAER EERST MET OGHEN SACH, 1401 GHECONTERFEIT NV HEEFT MI IAN VAN EYCK WEL BLIICT WANNEERT BEGA(N) 1436

(Jan De [Leeuw], who First Opened His Eyes on the Feast of St Ursula [21 October], 1401. Now Jan Van Eyck Has Painted Me, You Can See When He Began it. 1436).

The word "Leeuw" is substituted for a pictogram of a lion (sitter's surname in Dutch). The inscription seems to contain three chronograms (the year of completion, the year of the sitter's birth and his age).Virgin and Child with Canon van der Paele1436Groeningemuseum, Bruges1.22 m × 1.57 mLower border of the frame: HOC OP ' FECIT MAGR GEORGI' DE PALA HUI' CANONI P IOHANNE DE EYCK PICTORE. ET FUNDAVIT HIC DUAS CAPELLIAS DE I GMO CHORI DOMINI . M . CCCC . XXXIIIJ . PL AU . 1436

(Master Joris van der Paele, canon of this church, commissioned this work from the artist Jan van Eyck and founded two chaplaincies, located in the choir, in 1434. However, he completed it in 1436)Dresden Triptych1437Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, Dresden33 cm × 27.5 cmFound after 1959 during restauration n the inner moulding of the central frame in front of the tiled floor: JOHANNES DE EYCK ME FECIT ET CÓ(M)PLEVIT ANNO DOMINI MCCCCXXXVII (1437). ALC IXH XANLucca Madonnac. 1437Städel Museum, Frankfurt65.7 cm × 49.6 cmPortrait of Giovanni di Nicolao Arnolfini1438Gemäldegalerie, Berlin29 cm × 20 cmOriginal frame lost, possibly considered signature.Madonna in the Churchc. 1438-40Gemäldegalerie, Berlin31 cm × 14 cmWas stolen in 1877 and soon returned, but without its original inscribed frame, which was never recovered.Portrait of Margaret van Eyck1439Groeningemuseum, Bruges41.2 cm × 34.6 cmOn the top and bottom parts of the frame: CO[N]IV[N]X M[EV]S IOH[ANN]ES ME C[OM]PLEVIT AN[N]O . 1439°.17°IVNIJ ETAS MEA TRIGINTA TRIV[M] AN[N]ORV[M] AΛC. IXH.XAN

(My husband Johannes completed me in the year 1439 on 17 June, at the age of 33. As I can)Madonna at the Fountain1439Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp19 cm × 12 cmOn the frame: ALS IXH CAN JOHES DE EYCK ME FECIT + [COM]PLEVIT ANNO 1439Madonna of Jan Vos1441-43Frick Collection, New York City47.3 cm × 61.3 cm

Illuminated manuscripts

Image Title Date Current location NotesTurin-Milan Hoursc. 1420 Turin City Museum of Ancient Art The miniatures done by Hand "G", of which three survive are generally believed to be by either Jan van Eyck or his brother Hubert

Drawings

Image Title Date Current location DimensionsStudy for Cardinal Niccolò Albergatic. 1432Kupferstich-Kabinett, Dresden21.4 cm × 18 cmSaint Barbara1437Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp34 cm × 18.5 cm (signed on the frame

JOH(ANN)ES DE EYCK

ME FECIT 1437)Crucifixionc. 1440Museum Boijmans van Beuningen, Rotterdam25.4 cm × 18.7 cm

Lost works

Image Title Date NotesPortrait of Isabella of Portugalc.1428-29Known only from copiesSaint ChristopherUnknownKnown through two copies: a painting held at thePhiladelphia Museum of Art and a drawing held by the LouvreWoman Bathingc. 1434Known through two copies: one at Antwerp and onein the Harvard Art MuseumsVera Iconbefore 1438Known from three contemporary workshop copiesMadonna of Nicolas van Maelbekeafter 1440Known from an 18th-century replica and severalcontemporary silverpoint drawings

Contested

Image Title Date Current location Dimensions NotesThe Three Marys at the Tombc. 1410-26Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam71.5 cm × 90 cmNow usually attributed to Hubert van EyckThe Fountain of Lifec. 1432Museo del Prado, Madrid181 cm c 119 cmUsually attributed to the workshop of Van EyckPortrait of a Man with Carnationc. 1436Gemäldegalerie, Berlin40 cm × 31 cmAttributed to Van Eyck or a member of his workshop

Workshop

Image Title Current location DimensionsCrucifixion (after van Eyck?)Ca' d'Oro, Venice46 cm × 31 cmInce Hall Madonna (Virgin and Child Reading)National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne26.5 x 19.5Christ on the Cross with the Virgin and Saint JohnGemäldegalerie, Berlin43 cm × 26 cmSaint Jerome in his StudyDetroit Institute of Arts20.6 x 13.3

References

Sources Acres, Alfred. "Jan van Eyck: within His Art". London: Reaktion Books, 2013. Borchert, Till-Holger. Van Eyck. London: Taschen, 2008.