Summary of The Stay At Home Museum – Episode 1: Jan van Eyck

00:00:00 - 00:25:00

The Stay at Home Museum provides a tour of the works of Jan van Eyck, one of the most famous painters of the fifteenth century. The video discusses the different types of paintings that van Eyck produced, including religious paintings, portraits, and landscapes. It also highlights the realism of his work and the use of light and shadow to create an illusionary effect.

• 00:00:00 The video discusses the exhibition "Jan van Eyck: an optical revolution" which unfortunately had to close due to the ongoing c. closure. However, the museum provides a glimpse of what the viewer missed by looking at the paintings from the exterior and interior of the Ghent Altarpiece. The video highlights the extreme realism of the panels, including the focus on body hair, and how this was a unique and exciting experience to see. The viewer is then shown how Jan van Eyck painted details like people lurking through windows and wall paintings above the door in the painting.
• 00:05:00 The video discusses the painting "Saint Barbara," which is an important work of art from the fifteenth century. It is a black and white painting that has been discussed by art historians for its unfinished state and its possible connection to other unfinished paintings by Jan van Eyck. The video also covers the painting "The Annunciation" from the Ghent Altarpiece, which is a very important work from the same period.
• 00:10:00 This video introduces the viewer to Jan van Eyck's The Annunciation, one of the most famous religious paintings in the world. The video discusses the various features of the painting, including the realistic portrayal of the figures, the use of interior and exterior scenes, and the references to the Holy Trinity. The video also introduces the viewer to the Turin-Milan Hours, a manuscript containing two miniatures by van Eyck.
• 00:15:00 The exhibition showcases the works of Jan van Eyck, including paintings of people, portraits of nobility, and religious paintings. It is interesting to note that van Eyck was quite skilled in painting fake sculptures, displaying the veins in the stone in a way that was not possible with contemporary sculpture. One particular painting, The Annunciation diptych, is a high point of van Eyck's oeuvre and shows the wings of the angel foreshadowing the frame. The portrait was restored on the occasion of the exhibition and shows the man wearing a blue headdress popular in the late 1440s to early 1430s. The portrait was painted a few years later, after van Eyck had acquired the insignia of the Golden Fleece.
• 00:20:00 The video discusses the painting "Leal Souvenir" by Jan van Eyck, which is a portrait of a goldsmith named Jan De Leeuw. The inscription in Dutch hints that the painting is a memorial, and the painting's complex symbolism and illusionism make it difficult to interpret. The painting is part of the Ghent Altarpiece, which was commissioned by Judocus Vijd and Elisabeth Borluut, two donors of the altarpiece. The figures depicted in the painting are in the same niches, but if they were to rise, they would be too large for the space.
• 00:25:00 This video tours the Stay at Home Museum, which features art by Jan van Eyck. It provides an overview of his work and tells viewers that it is a welcome memory for those who have visited the museum and a helpful introduction for those who have not.