Born between 1380 and 1390, Netherlandish painter Jan van Eyck was first recorded at the John of Bavaria court in The Hague in transaction records dated between 1422 and 1424.There are no records to situate where he received his artistic training, but it was found that he often used Latin, Greek, and Hebrew alphabets, indicating that he received somewhat of a classical education.
His career began as an official to the ruler of Holland, Zeeland, and Hainault, John III the pitiless. Van Eyck was a diplomat, court painter, and a senior member of a group called the Tournai painters’ guild.