National Gallery to Host First-Ever Van Eyck Portrait Exhibition in 2026
In winter 2026, the National Gallery in London will unveil 'Van Eyck: Les Portraits', the inaugural exhibition focused on Jan van Eyck's portraiture. This showcase will display all nine extant painted portraits from European collections, accounting for half of his recognized works. Highlights include the 'Arnolfini Portrait' (1434), 'Portrait of a Man (Giovanni? Arnolfini)' (circa 1440), and Van Eyck's 'Self-Portrait' (1433), as well as the earliest known portrait of a non-aristocratic woman, his spouse Margaret (1439). The accompanying catalogue will feature fresh insights into his techniques and the identities of his subjects. Curator Emma Capron emphasized Van Eyck's transformative influence on portrait art during the 1430s.
Key facts
- First exhibition dedicated to Jan van Eyck's portraits, opening at the National Gallery, London, in winter 2026.
- All nine surviving painted portraits by van Eyck will be reunited for the first time.
- The exhibition includes the 'Arnolfini Portrait' (1434) and the 'Portrait of a Man (Giovanni? Arnolfini)' (c. 1440, Gemäldegalerie, Berlin).
- The recently restored 'Portrait of a Man (Self-Portrait?)' (1433) will be shown alongside the portrait of his wife Margaret (1439, Groeningemuseum, Bruges).
- The Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna will lend both of its Van Eyck paintings simultaneously for the first time.
- The catalogue will be the first monograph on Van Eyck's portraits, featuring new research on technique, frames, and inscriptions.
- Van Eyck expanded portraiture to include merchants, artisans, and family members, not just royalty.
- Emma Capron, curator at the National Gallery, highlighted the revolutionary nature of Van Eyck's portraits.
Entities
Artists
- Jan van Eyck
- Margaret van Eyck
Institutions
- National Gallery, London
- Gemäldegalerie, Berlin
- Groeningemuseum, Bruges
- Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna
- National Gallery
- Kupferstich-Kabinett, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
- Berlin
- Germany
- Bruges
- Belgium
- Vienna
- Austria
- Dresden