JEWEL OF THE NORTHERN RENAISSANCE
A NOBLEWOMAN AT COURT

Rogier van der Weyden, Portrait of a Lady, c. 1460, oil on panel, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
The virtue of her looks
Excels the precious stone;
Ye need none other book
To read, or look upon.
John Heywood, A Description of a Most Noble Lady
In what is modern Belgium, Rogier van Weyden (1399/1400-1464), Jan van Eyck, and Hugo van der Goes, among others, were pioneers of the oil technique, allowing them to execute their works of art with a preciseness and authenticity new to the world of art. English poet John Heywood (c. 1497-1580) once worked at the courts of the Tudor monarchs, including Henry VIII, Edward VI as well as Queens Mary and Elizabeth.
The above image is used solely for educational purpose and in the U.S. public domain.