Painter, 1390 to 1441
Jan van Eyck
Van Eyck's diptych in the Thyssen is a trick of the brush: the angel and the Virgin look carved in grey stone, standing in black marble niches that seem to reflect them.
- Born
- 1390, probably Maaseik, in what is now Belgium
- Died
- 1441, Bruges
- Movement
- Early Netherlandish painting
- In Madrid
- 1 work in 1 museum
Where to see Jan van Eyck in Madrid
Each work with the museum it hangs in. Museums move and lend their works, so check before a special journey.
Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum1 work
The Annunciation diptych
about 1433 to 1435
Two panels, each with a figure painted in grey to look like a stone statue in a niche of polished black marble. The dove flies between them.
The life of Jan van Eyck
Jan van Eyck was court painter to Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, who sent him on secret journeys and paid him a salary for life. He settled in Bruges about 1430 and died there in 1441. Some twenty paintings by him are accepted today.
He signed and dated his pictures, which almost no painter of his time did, and often added a motto in Greek letters that means: as I can.
What to know
- Painted to imitate sculpture, a skill the Flemish painters prized
- Born
- About 1390, probably Maaseik, in what is now Belgium
- Died
- 1441, Bruges
Jan van Eyck: common questions
- Where can you see Jan van Eyck in Madrid?
- At the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum: The Annunciation diptych. Museums move and lend their works, so check before a special journey.
- What is Jan van Eyck's most famous work in Madrid?
- The Annunciation diptych, of about 1433 to 1435, at the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum. Two panels, each with a figure painted in grey to look like a stone statue in a niche of polished black marble. The dove flies between them.
- When and where was Jan van Eyck born?
- About 1390, at probably Maaseik, in what is now Belgium. Jan van Eyck died in 1441, at Bruges, aged about 51.
- What is Jan van Eyck known for?
- Painted to imitate sculpture, a skill the Flemish painters prized. Jan van Eyck was a Netherlandish painter, of Early Netherlandish painting.
Tickets and tours: Jan van Eyck in Madrid
Things to do near the Thyssen
The nearest of this site's best things to do in the city. Distances are in a straight line.
- 17Look over Madrid's rooftops from the Círculo de Bellas Artes300 m awayMonument, 45 to 90 minutes, ticket for the roof
- 1Spend a morning with Velázquez and Goya at the Prado350 m awayMuseum, 2.5 to 5 hours, ticket, free in the last two hours
- 14Find Goya and Zurbarán at the Real Academia de San Fernando550 m awayMuseum, 1 to 2 hours, ticket
- 12Walk the Gran Vía and stand at Kilometre Zero in the Puerta del Sol750 m awayWalk, 1 to 2 hours, free
Where to eat near the Thyssen
The nearest of the famous tables this site lists in Madrid. Distances are in a straight line.
- Viva Madrid4.5Tavern, Barrio de las Letras400 m away
- Casa Alberto4.4Tavern, Barrio de las Letras500 m away
- Antigua Pastelería del Pozo4.5Pastry shop, Puerta del Sol550 m away
- Lhardy4.2Restaurant, Carrera de San Jerónimo550 m away
Hotels near the Thyssen
The five-star hotels closest to it, of those this site lists in Madrid. Distances are in a straight line.
- The Palace, Madrid4.6Five-star hotel, Plaza de las Cortes100 m away
- Mandarin Oriental Ritz, Madrid4.7Five-star hotel, Plaza de la Lealtad200 m away
- Gran Hotel Inglés4.7Five-star hotel, Barrio de las Letras400 m away
- The Principal Madrid4.5Five-star hotel, Gran Vía400 m away
Other artists
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Fra Angelico
The Prado has Fra Angelico's Annunciation, the altarpiece painted for a convent near Florence, with Adam and Eve expelled from Eden beside the angel.
Early Renaissance. 1 work in 1 museum
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Painter, 1399 to 1464
Rogier van der Weyden
The most influential painter of fifteenth-century Flanders, whose Descent from the Cross in the Prado is one of the great paintings of its age.
Early Netherlandish. 1 work in 1 museum
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