Shown above: The Ghent Altarpiece (1432)
Introduction
Jan Van Eyck was an ideal Renaissance man because the artwork he produced exemplified some of the important Renaissance ideals. The ideals that his work showed are individualism, classicism, realism, and secularism. Individualism is use of portraits, signatures, and/or unique ideas for the time period in artwork. Classicism is the influence of the Greeks and Romans in art or literature. Realism is the technique of making work appear very much real with intense details, proportional bodies, shading, and colors. Secularism is artwork that is non-religious, specifically Christianity, and is usually about everyday life- including peasants. The works that Jan Van Eyck did that show these major Renaissance values are Portrait of Giovanni Arnolfini and his Wife (1434), Man in a Turban (1433), and The Virgin of Chancellor Rolin (1435).