Jan Van Eyck: Renaissance Realist (Basic Art) (German Edition)

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Customer Reviews

Just wish it were bigger
This is a lovely little work, very well worth the price. As an artist, one just wishes it were larger, with more enlarged details. Although the printing is high quality, there is little not seen in comparable, more pricey works yet there are a nice few. It seems lucky to be in an age when scholars Borchert and DeVos are writing, since they and other specialists in Flemish Ars Nova have done so much to clarify much of the mysteries about this critical phase in art history. There are no major new revelations of course, as there are still so many frustrating unknowns about the van Eycks. Also as an artist, it would be fun to go into greater detail greater magnification about the stylistic differences in composition, materials and technique that are being wrestled with in trying to decide whose hand did the disputed works although there is a good general discussion of this, especially the works completed after Jan's death. But then this volume could not have been brought in at such an attractive price. It is hard indeed to imagine whose library or bookshelf would not be graced by this little gem, especially recommended to those just beginning their study of Master Jan.

2009-08-22 | I like Eyck! | Helpful Votes: 7 | Rating: 5

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Jan Van Eyck book
Excellent read with incredibly detailed photos of his work. Lots of great information about the artist and his various pieces not only the ones he is most known for.

2009-08-14 | Skylar's Mom (El Mirage, AZ) | Helpful Votes: 7 | Rating: 5

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Van Eyck

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The Wedding: An Encounter with Jan van Eyck (Art Encounters)

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Is the bride pregnant? Why does the groom look so old? What’s reflected in the mirror? The Arnolfini Wedding is surely the most hotly debated painting of the Northern Renaissance—and one of the most beloved. In this historical novel, E.M. Rees weaves a rich story of love and honor that answers the questions about this great picture. At her first visit to the Duke’s court, young Giovanna Cenami falls in love with a mysterious stranger employed by the famous Flemish painter Jan van Eyck. But Giovanna’s romantic dreams are shattered when her father tells her she must marry a rich merchant to save them all from financial ruin. When she decides to pursue her own dreams, defying her family, she finds herself in grave danger of losing her reputation, her honor—and perhaps her life.

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Customer Reviews

Copy of Romeo and Juliet
All throughout this book, I kept wondering in my head why this author hasn't yet been charged with plagiarizing Shakespeare. The plot for 3 quarters of the book is exactly like that of the famous Romeo and Juliet with a few altercations in the names and exact relations of the characters. I was quite annoyed with it.

However, I did find that the ending differed quite dramatically from R+J and it was a nice finish. It teaches a nice lesson about marriage and it was interesting how the author interpreted this painting and translated it into a fictional story. It was a page turner; I finished it in a day. I wouldn't recommend this to any of my friends. Although it's a quick read and would make an easy book report.

2006-07-12 (PA, USA) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 3

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ThIs Wedding is a smash hit
The Wedding is a great teen read--Giovanna, the fourteen-year old heroine, has spirit and life, and from her first words (she tells her own story), you fall in love with her. Everything and everyone in this book is bursting with life. Living in a time when females married young, Giovanna, who is born into a wealthy merchant family, must choose between two suitors, one quiet and sensitive, the other, handsome and daring. Elizabeth Rees not only sees into the hearts of her characters, she also is a painter with words, creating a fifteenth-century Bruges that is totally alive and believable. Her portrait of the painter Van Eyck is so convincing because she has a painter's understanding of who an artist is and how an artist works. And as if it isn't enough that he painted, The Wedding, one of the most beautiful and mysterious paintings of all time, Van Eck was also a spy! The story moves at breakneck pace with many twists and turns. There is not a dull moment and teen readers will learn a lot of history, much about painting, and along the way they will be heart and soul with this spirited heroine as she decides her fate.

2006-03-02 (USA) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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a colorful, romantic story
"The Wedding", with its rich period detail and colorful, romantic story, brings to life the characters in Jan van Eyck's masterpiece, "The Arnolfini Wedding." Elizabeth Rees's imaginative reconstruction of life in 15th century Flanders gives us a well-researched picture of the Burgundian court. But the focus of the novel is on the feelings of the 14-year-old girl, Giovanna, who appealingly narrates her own story. Using none of the artifically antique language found in some historical fiction, Rees's "The Wedding" is a dramatic,original tale that readers of all ages can savor. It is a beautiful novel.
--Gerald J. Schiffhorst, Ph.D.

2005-10-20 | Author and writing consultant (Winter Park, FL) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 5

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Jan van Eyck: The Play of Realism

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Craig Harbison reveals the neglected human dimension of van Eyck's fabulously detailed oil paintings, and investigates the personal histories of the worldly participants of such masterpieces as the Arnolfini Double Portrait.

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Customer Reviews

Artwork lets down book
If you buy art books for the art, then this one will leave you sorely disappointed. This book does no justice to the brillant and detailed work of van Eyck, thanks to the small format of the book, poor reproductions, absence of close-ups and limited number of colour images. The price is right - but for a good reason.

2005-08-19 | Helpful Votes: 20 | Rating: 1

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Readable, Erudite, and Sumptuously Illustrated
Jan van Eyck: the Play of Realism manages to be both scholarly and accessible to non-specialist readers. This is not a biography of van Eyck nor is it a comprehensive analysis of all of the painter's work. Harbison addresses a number of issues that played a role in forming van Eyck's astonishing realism and technical virtuosity. The early Netherlandish painters, such as Dirk Bouts, Roger van der Weyden, Robert Campin, Hans Memling, and Petrus Christus, are characterized by their crystalline light, saturated colors, and obsession with clearly-rendered detail. However, Jan van Eyck's realism, especially his sensitively wrought faces, his evocative landscapes, and his almost miraculous ability to render the textures of brocade, metal, glass, armor, and architecture, was the never-surpassed inspiration for so many of his contemporaties and followers. Harbison explores many of the influences that informed van Eyck's style, such as the conflict between institutional and personal Christian piety, the newly-emerging devotions to the Virgin and the Sacred Heart, the interests of his patrons (mostly merchants and court and Church functionaries, rather than his nominal employer, Duke Philip the Good of Burgundy) in how they presented themselves to the world, the practice of pilgrimage, and others. He also discusses the somewhat surprising influence of Byzantine icons on van Eyck's later work.

If I have any quibbles with this book they would be that Harbison presents little analysis of the Ghent Altarpiece and makes almost no mention of Jan van Eyck's brother Hubert and the extent to which the two artists may have collaborated on some works, notably the Ghent Altarpiece. Harbison devotes a chapter to this work, but instead of the detailed analysis he gives to other works, such as the Arnolfini double portrait and the six surviving Virgin-and-Child paintings, he confines himself to a brief discussion of how the theology of the Ghent Altarpiece is different (more traditional and institutional) than that of the later religious works with their concern for personal devotion.

This is not the book to read if you want a biography of van Eyck (though there is only scant information known about his life) or a chronological painting-by-painting analysis of all of the artist's work. These are not the intentions of the author. However, the book is an excellent exploration of the sources of the realist tradition in fifteenth century Netherlandish art, and the sumptuous color photographs, especially the enlargements of crucial details, make this book a feast for the eyes.

2005-06-08 (Pittsburgh, PA United States) | Helpful Votes: 16 | Rating: 5

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Notes Sur Jean Van Eyck: Réfutation Des Erreurs De M. L'abbé Carton Et Des Théories De M. Le Comte De Laborde Suivie De Nouveaux Documents Découverts Dans Les Archives De Bruges (French Edition)

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This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.

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Jan van Eyck: Master Painter

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