ART
Ludion 150 illustrations 19.0 x 15.0cm 256pp | Hardback 978 9 493 039230 March | £14.95
Maximiliaan Martens and Annick Born
Van Eyck in Detail The Portable Edition
This fascinating book looks at the work of Flemish painter Jan van Eyck (c. 1395–1441) under a magnifying glass. Famed for his focused observation of nature, Van Eyck studied fauna and flora in their natural environment and under carefully chosen light conditions, and then achieved a breathtaking and convincing realism in his paintings. Each panel is a collection of minuscule details rendered with superb clarity from foreground to background, or at least that is the impression at first glance. As this book reveals, that is precisely where Van Eyck’s exceptional talent lies: he understood that the human brain is able to supplement visual perception where necessary.
Here, details from Van Eyck’s paintings are organised by such themes as nature, architecture, daily life, fabrics, glass, jewellery and mirrors, and portraits. Opening with a biographical note and an introduction on the technique of oil painting on panel, the authors explain the significance of the individual details and how Van Eyck achieved his innovative artistic results. Maximiliaan P.J. Martens is Professor of Art History at Ghent University. Annick Born is a researcher at the same university’s Interdisciplinary Centre for Art & Science. Luc Tuymans, who contributed a preface, is a highly regarded contemporary painter with works in major collections around the world.
Also available: Bosch in Detail Hardback | 9789491819810 | £14.95 Bruegel in Detail Hardback | 9789491819827 | £14.95 Leonardo in Detail Hardback | 9789493039070 | £14.95 31