The Flemish painters Hubert (died 1426) and Jan (ca. 1390-1441) van Eyck were the founders of the early Netherlandish school of painting.

In the third decade of the 15th century an elaborate technique of painting in oil glazes on wooden panels emerged and was perfected in the Low Countries. Although ultimately the brothers Van Eyck cannot be credited with its discovery, they were the acknowledged leaders of this new practice. The brilliant coloration, luminous surfaces, and detailed precision of their paintings remain to this day one of the greatest achievements of Western art.

The birth dates of Hubert and Jan van Eyck are unknown, but it is generally held that Hubert was the elder and Jan was born about 1390. According to a 16th-century tradition, their place of birth was Maaseyck near Maastricht in the province of Limburg.

Jan is first heard of between 1422 and 1425 at The Hague, where he...