Why it matters
Jan van Eyck painted his wife Margaret at about 34, in a red woollen gown with fur and an elaborate horned headdress. It is one of the earliest European paintings of an artist's spouse.
Did you know?
- It is dated 1439.
- It probably formed a pair with his presumed self-portrait in the National Gallery, London.
- It hung in the chapel of the Bruges painters' guild until the early 18th century.
- Her left eye shows a slight squint.
Based on the Wikipedia article Portrait of Margaret van Eyck (CC BY-SA 4.0).
