Portrait of Cardinal Niccolò Albergati

The cardinal is portrayed from three-quarters, as was usual in Flemish painting since as early as the 1430s. The dark background enhances the figure, who is lit by a bright light source. As is common in van Eyck's work, there is very close attention to detail, aided by his use of successive layers of colours diluted with oil, which allowed him to achieve deep effects of transparency and lucidity.^[1]

A preparatory drawing is now in the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen of Dresden, Germany.^[2] Comparison with the drawing shows that van Eyck changed several details, such as the depth of the shoulders, the lower curve of the nose, the depth of the mouth and mainly the size of the ear.^{[citation needed]}

Niccolò Albergati was a diplomat working under Pope Martin V. He met van Eyck during a peace congress in Antwerp, who portrayed him in a drawing, which the artist added notes on the colors to execute a later painting portrait. The drawing is now in the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen of Dresden, Germany.

Although Albergati is traditionally identified as the sitter, some modern scholars suggest that Henry Beaufort is more likely to be its subject.^[3][4] If the portrait is of Henry Beaufort, it would be the earliest realistic portrait of an Englishman.^[4] Other scholars maintain it does not depict a cardinal at all.^[5]

• List of works by Jan van Eyck

• Media related to Portrait of Cardinal Niccolò Albergati by Jan van Eyck at Wikimedia Commons