(National Gallery, London, UK)
A painting by the Flemish artist Jan van Eyck (before 1390 – 1441). This painting shows a middle-aged man sitting in three-quarters profile. The man is not wearing a turban, but a chaperon. The hood, which usually hung down over the wearer’s neck and shoulders, has been piled up on top of the sitter’s head, the long tail wound around it. The painting is still in its original frame. At the bottom is the inscription "JOHES DE EYCK ME FECIT ANO MCCCC.33. 21. OCTOBRIS" ("Jan van Eyck Made Me on October 21, 1433"). At the top, the text "AlC IXH XAN" ("As Well As I Can"), the personal motto of van Eyck. The painting is believed to be a self-portrait of Jan van Eyck. It has been proposed that van Eyck created the portrait to store in his workshop so that he could use it to display his abilities (and social status, given the fine clothes evident in the portrait) to potential clients.
