List of works by Jan van Eyck facts for kids

Jan van Eyck was a very important artist from the Netherlands long ago. He didn't create a huge number of paintings that we know of today, but the ones that survived are truly special. Many others are thought to be lost or destroyed over time.

Van Eyck was one of the first major European artists to use oil painting in a new and amazing way. Even though oil paint existed before him, he was so skilled at using it – mixing colors, layering thin coats called glazes, and painting wet-on-wet – that some people, like the writer Giorgio Vasari, even thought he invented oil painting!

About twenty of his paintings are still around and are definitely known to be by him. This includes the famous Ghent Altarpiece, which he worked on with his brother Hubert. He also created some beautiful tiny pictures in illuminated books, like the Turin-Milan Hours. All his known works were made between 1432 and 1439. Ten of them are signed and dated with his special motto, ALS ICH KAN, which means As I (Eyck) can. It was a clever play on his name, and he often wrote it in Greek letters.

Famous Paintings by Jan van Eyck

Jan van Eyck created many incredible paintings. Here are some of his most well-known works:

Image	Title	Date	Current location	Size
The Ghent Altarpiece, open view The Ghent Altarpiece, closed view	Ghent Altarpiece	around 1420-1432	St Bavo's Cathedral, Ghent	3.4 m x 5.2 m (open) 3.4 m x 2.23 m (closed)
Portrait of a Man with a Blue Chaperon	Portrait of a Man with a Blue Chaperon	around 1430	Brukenthal National Museum, Sibiu	22.5 cm x 16.6 cm
Saint Francis Receiving the Stigmata (Turin version)	Saint Francis Receiving the Stigmata	around 1430-1432	Sabauda Gallery, Turin	29.3 cm x 33.4 cm
Saint Francis Receiving the Stigmata (Philadelphia version)	Saint Francis Receiving the Stigmata	1430-1432	Philadelphia Museum of Art	12.7 cm x 14.6 cm
The Crucifixion and Last Judgement diptych	Crucifixion and Last Judgement	around 1430-1440	Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City	56.5 cm x 19.5 cm each
Portrait of Cardinal Niccolò Albergati	Portrait of Cardinal Niccolò Albergati	around 1431	Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna	34 cm x 29.5 cm
Léal Souvenir	Léal Souvenir	1432	National Gallery, London	33.3 cm x 18.9 cm
Portrait of a Man (Self Portrait?)	Portrait of a Man (Self Portrait?)	1433	National Gallery, London	25.5 cm x 19 cm
The Arnolfini Portrait	Arnolfini Portrait	1434	National Gallery, London	82 cm x 59.5 cm
Annunciation (Washington version)	Annunciation	1434-1436	National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.	90.2 cm x 34.1 cm
Annunciation (Madrid version)	Annunciation	1434-1436	Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, Madrid	39 cm x 24 cm
Portrait of Baudouin de Lannoy	Portrait of Baudouin de Lannoy	1435	Gemäldegalerie, Berlin	26 cm x 20 cm
	Madonna of Chancellor Rolin	1435	Louvre, Paris	66 cm x 62 cm
Portrait of Jan de Leeuw	Portrait of Jan de Leeuw	1436	Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna	24.5 cm x 19 cm
Virgin and Child with Canon van der Paele	Virgin and Child with Canon van der Paele	1436	Groeningemuseum, Bruges	1.22 m x 1.57 m
The Dresden Triptych	Dresden Triptych	1437	Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, Dresden	33 cm x 27.5 cm
The Lucca Madonna	Lucca Madonna	around 1437	Städel Museum, Frankfurt	65.7 cm x 49.6 cm
Portrait of Giovanni di Nicolao Arnolfini	Portrait of Giovanni di Nicolao Arnolfini	1438	Gemäldegalerie, Berlin	29 cm x 20 cm
Madonna in the Church	Madonna in the Church	around 1438-1440	Gemäldegalerie, Berlin	31 cm x 14 cm
Portrait of Margaret van Eyck	Portrait of Margaret van Eyck	1439	Groeningemuseum, Bruges	41.2 cm x 34.6 cm
Madonna at the Fountain	Madonna at the Fountain	1439	Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp	19 cm x 12 cm
Madonna of Jan Vos	Madonna of Jan Vos	1441-1443	Frick Collection, New York City	47.3 cm x 61.3 cm

Illuminated Manuscripts

Jan van Eyck also contributed to illuminated manuscripts, which are books with beautiful, hand-painted decorations and tiny pictures.

Image	Title	Date	Current location	Notes
A page from the Turin-Milan Hours	Turin-Milan Hours	around 1420	Turin City Museum of Ancient Art	Some of the tiny paintings in this book are believed to be by Jan van Eyck or his brother Hubert.

Drawings

Besides paintings, some drawings by Jan van Eyck have also survived. These give us a peek into how he planned his artworks.

Image	Title	Date	Current location	Size
Study for Cardinal Niccolò Albergati	Study for Cardinal Niccolò Albergati	around 1432	Kupferstich-Kabinett, Dresden	21.4 cm x 18 cm
Saint Barbara	Saint Barbara	1437	Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp	34 cm x 18.5 cm
Crucifixion drawing	Crucifixion	around 1440	Museum Boijmans van Beuningen, Rotterdam	25.4 cm x 18.7 cm

Lost Works

Many of Jan van Eyck's works have been lost over the centuries. We only know about them through old records or copies made by other artists.

Image	Title	Date	Notes
Portrait of Isabella of Portugal (copy)	Portrait of Isabella of Portugal	around 1428-1429	We only know this painting from copies made later.
Saint Christopher (copy 1) Saint Christopher (copy 2)	Saint Christopher	Unknown	Known through two copies: a painting in Philadelphia and a drawing in the Louvre.
	Woman Bathing	around 1434	Known through two copies: one in Antwerp and one in the Harvard Art Museums.
Vera Icon (copy)	Vera Icon	before 1438	Known from three copies made by his workshop.
Maelbeke Madonna Triptych (replica) Maelbeke Madonna (replica)	Madonna of Nicolas van Maelbeke	after 1440	Known from a copy made in the 1700s and several drawings.

Works with Debated Authorship

Sometimes, art experts aren't completely sure if a painting was made by Jan van Eyck himself, or by someone in his workshop, or even by his brother. These are called "contested" works.

Image	Title	Date	Current location	Size	Notes
The Three Marys at the Tomb	The Three Marys at the Tomb	around 1410-1426	Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam	71.5 cm x 90 cm	Most experts now think this was painted by his brother, Hubert van Eyck.
The Fountain of Life	The Fountain of Life	around 1432	Museo del Prado, Madrid	181 cm c 119 cm	This painting is usually thought to be from Van Eyck's workshop, not by him directly.
Portrait of a Man with Carnation	Portrait of a Man with Carnation	around 1436	Gemäldegalerie, Berlin	40 cm x 31 cm	Attributed to Van Eyck or someone who worked with him.

Works from His Workshop

Jan van Eyck had a workshop where other artists helped him. Sometimes, these artists would create paintings in his style, or even copies of his works.

Image	Title	Current location	Size
Crucifixion (after van Eyck?)	Crucifixion (after van Eyck?)	Ca' d'Oro, Venice	46 cm x 31 cm
Ince Hall Madonna (Virgin and Child Reading)	Ince Hall Madonna (Virgin and Child Reading)	National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne	26.5 x 19.5
Christ on the Cross with the Virgin and Saint John	Christ on the Cross with the Virgin and Saint John	Gemäldegalerie, Berlin	43 cm x 26 cm
Saint Jerome in his Study (after van Eyck)	Saint Jerome in his Study	Detroit Institute of Arts	20.6 x 13.3

Sources

• Borchert, Till-Holger. Van Eyck. London: Taschen, 2008. ISBN: 3-8228-5687-8