Explore the beauty of Flemish painter Jan van Eyck's oil painting of the Annunciation, the moment when the archangel Gabriel tells the Virgin Mary she will bear Jesus Christ. Jan’s mastery of light, color, and texture brings this divine moment to life. How did he do it? With oil paint!

In this video, learn about oil paint, a relatively new medium in 15th-century Europe, that allowed for remarkable realism and subtle effects impossible with earlier egg-based tempera. Oil’s slow drying time enabled Jan to build up transparent layers and intricate details, creating glowing surfaces and lifelike textures. Through this technical and artistic innovation, he transformed a sacred story into a vivid, tangible vision.

Speaker: Dr. Heather Graham

CHAPTERS

0:00 A Miracle in Paint: Jan van Eyck’s Annunciation

0:31 Capturing the Divine: Light, Color, and Texture

0:54 What is Oil Paint?

1:17 From Tempera to Oil: A Shift in Artistic Practice

1:48 The Flemish Revolution in Painting

2:00 The Science of Oils: Linseed, Walnut, and Poppyseed

2:21 Van Eyck’s Technique: Layering Light and Detail

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