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By the end of his career, van Eyck and his contemporaries had established portraiture as a major art form. The artist held an international roster of wealthy patrons who commissioned him to record their likenesses or create devotional paintings. Van Eyck was a leading force in 15th-century Flemish painting due to his innovations in optical perspective and his handling of oil paint. He achieved an astonishingly high level of realism, due in part to his use of atmospheric perspective.
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A rise in wealthy merchants was driven by expanding trade and the growth of cities. This new merchant class became major patrons of art, which drove the cultural achievements of the Renaissance. Their secular patronage encouraged the development of portraiture, landscapes and cityscapes, and genre scenes. The printing press accelerated the spread of artistic ideas across Europe, connecting artists like Durer to Italian Renaissance styles. Advances in oil paints allowed for new depth and texture.
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