To accompany the National Gallery’s van Eyck’s Portraits exhibition (Nov 26-April 27). Famed for inventing oil paint (although we now know this not to be true) Jan van Eyck used this medium to his advantage when making his minutely decorated paintings.

Jan van Eyck worked in Flanders, part of modern day Belgium, at a time of great artistic advances called the Northern Renaissance. Inspired by local Gothic traditions and illuminated manuscripts, his paintings are filled by the most delightful details. Often not even visible to onlooker’s eyes, one wonders if he painted some for his own enjoyment.

Join Mariska for this journey looking at some of the most wonderful works by Jan van Eyck and his extraordinary eye for life’s details.