To be sure, Jan van Eyck is an ingenious artist. And, no, he did not fall from Heaven. First, the genius. Jan Van Eyck certainly is, by way of a rare combination of talents. He is extremely well-skilled in art, Christianity, as well as sciences. Primarily optics, the science of perception and the effects of light. Van Eyck, moreover, is creative and innovating. He is an incredible keen observer and he is technically unmatched . He runs a studio with employees and is at the same time a diplomat. Such a combination is extremely rare. They make one think of that other giant, from two hundred years later: Peter Paul Rubens. The genius Jan van Eyck stands at the peak of his abilities in the decades of 1420 and 1430. Precisely this period is also an economic highpoint for the cities in the Southern Low Countries, which in turn leads to a cultural boom. That has everything to do with the increasing market for luxury items and art. In addition to princes and nobility, wealthy citizens are also obtaining the means to afford themselves such luxuries. Yet there is also another strong stimulant: Duke Philip the Good robustly establishes his traveling court throughout the Southern Netherlands! Many people from the elite want to imitate the princely lifestyle they see there, which offers opportunities for artists such as Jan van Eyck. Additionally there are the international commercial relations, certainly in a world city such as Bruges, with an intense import trade of exotic products. You can see traces of all this in the work of Van Eyck. In short, Van Eyck is a virtuoso who is living in a prosperous time.