May 6, 1432. Inside a cathedral in Ghent, a crowd gathers to witness something extraordinary—an altarpiece so lifelike that viewers can count individual flowers in a painted meadow and watch blood flow into a golden chalice. One witness records that the artist had discovered "a new perspective on seeing."

But the man behind this revolution wasn't a monk or a scholar. He was Jan van Eyck - a court functionary, a diplomat on secret missions, a bureaucrat with a paintbrush who would transform the possibilities of painting.

In this episode, we explore how van Eyck gave his patrons something they didn't even know they wanted: a new way to experience reality. From the glittering Burgundian court to the revolutionary Ghent Altarpiece, from the intimate mystery of the Arnolfini Portrait to a potential self-portrait that stares directly into your soul, we trace how one artist's technical innovations changed not only art but also human perception.

Discover the man who painted light as if it were tangible, embedded cryptic inscriptions in his frames, and whose motto - "As I Can" - was both humble and impossibly ambitious. This is the story of how Jan van Eyck invented hyperrealism six centuries before Photoshop and why his vision still shapes how we see the world today.

Resources:

The Ghent Altarpiece

The Arnolfini Portrait

The Man in the Turban

Support the show

Find us on Substack. Both Free and Premium content is available:

https://substack.com/@itakehistorywithmycoffee

Podcast website: https://www.podpage.com/i-take-history-with-my-coffee/
Visit my blog at itakehistory.com and also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky.

Comments and feedback can be sent to itakehistory@gmail.com.
You can also leave a review on Apple Podcast and Spotify.
Refer to the episode number in the subject line.

If you enjoy this podcast, you can help support my work to deliver great historical content. Consider buying me a coffee:
I Take History With My Coffee is writing a history blog and doing a history podcast. (buymeacoffee.com)

Visit audibletrial.com/itakehistory to sign up for your free trial of Audible, the leading destination for audiobooks.

Intro Music: Hayden Symphony #39
Outro Music: Vivaldi Concerto for Mandolin and Strings in D