Jan Carel van Eyck

[2] Jan Carel van Eyck is known for his landscapes with villages and cityscapes with genre scenes.

These animated scenes, particularly those of city squares populated with many characters, on foot or on horseback, were likely an inspiration for van Eyck.

An example of an animated city view by van Eyck is the Townscape in winter with carriages (At Dorotheum on 30 April 2019 lot 321).

It shows a large city view in winter with many figures, horses and carriages bustling about on a frozen river lined by town houses and a church.

In spite of the intensive activity, van Eyck achieves a balance by covering the busy street with snow, thereby adding a touch of calmness and an almost wistful atmosphere to the bustling scene.

[5] The Prado attributes a work in its collection depicting the Fall of Phaeton to van Eyck.