Portrait of a Lady - Rogier Van Der Weyden - Framed art Print

Born around 1399 or 1400, Rogier van der Weyden was an acclaimed artist and illuminator, whose life journey came to an end in 1464. The details of his initial training and early work remain uncertain. However, at the age of 27, Rogier joined the studio of Robert Campin, who was the head of the Tournai painters' guild. He stayed under Campin's tutelage for five years before gaining the status of an independent master within the guild.

Van der Weyden's work is characterised by the detailed realism that he adopted from Campin. In his mid-thirties, he moved to Brussels, his wife's hometown, and swiftly became the city's appointed painter courtesy of the city council. This led to many public and private commissions. Van der Weyden ran a large workshop, staffed with numerous assistants including his son, Pieter, who later took over his father's role as the city painter in Brussels.

Van der Weyden's renown quickly spread beyond local boundaries, earning him the respect of international clientele. He spent a year in Italy, creating artworks for prestigious families such as the Este in Ferrara and the Medici in Florence. His impact was not limited to his immediate artistic circle; his dramatic and deeply emotional paintings became an inspiration for every Netherlandish painter in the subsequent generation.