Detail of John the Evangelist

This image of John the Evangelist is painted so realistically that you would swear it was genuinely sculpted. Modern designers still enjoy working with optical illusions: take a look at the Paper Chair by Jeroen Wand or at Soho, a vase made from nylon, by Michael Eden. Juliette Clovis’ work also looks sculpted, but is actually made up of layers of porcelain.
White reflects all the light that falls on it. It was therefore not considered a colour in the past. Lead white was generally used in Van Eyck’s time: a pigment that is easily turned into paint, covers well, and dries quickly.