Playing cards - Margareta van Eyck/Filips de Goede

Here, we present Margareta van Eyck within her scholarly context. Jan van Eyck’s (1390–1441) mastery is evident not only in his brushstrokes; he also possessed an outstanding knowledge of optics, geometry, and alchemy. This knowledge reached Bruges through Latin translations of Arabic texts. By experimenting with oils and pigments, he was able to perfectly imitate nature. For him, alchemy was a way to understand materials and reproduce the forces of nature. All of this can be seen in his paintings, such as the portrait of Margareta.

Filips de Goede serves as the archetype of a monarch in the courtly world. The world of the late Middle Ages was a mosaic of courts and rulers. They maintained relationships, but at the same time vied for influence and territory. Ultimately, only the strongest survived: powerful dynasties such as the Ottomans and the Habsburgs. He is the counterpart to Mehmed II.