Jan van Eyck 1390 – 1441

The Virgin of Chancellor Rolin

oil on panel (66 × 62 cm) — 1435 Musée du Louvre, Paris

Jan van Eyck biography

Nicolas Rolin (1376-1462) was chancellor to Philip the Good, duke of Burgundy. He had Van Eyck portray him sitting opposite to the virgin Mary with child.

Both Rolin and Mary are dressed in splendid gowns. Rolin's jacket is trimmed with fur. An angel holds a crown over Mary's head.

Van Eyck situated them in the loggia of a palace built in Italian style. In the background two figures are seen leaning over a ballustrade, thus creating a relaxed atmosphere. Van der Weyden and later Ghirlandaio also used that technique.

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