Rogier van der Weyden

Although famous during his lifetime in the early phases of the Northern Renaissance, the details of Rogier van der Weyden’s life have become lost—probably because his popularity declined until the 1800s. Van der Weyden’s works are characterized by luminous oil paint layering and a devotion to naturalism (with a little idealism) associated with the Northern Renaissance. But he stands out for painting with a large color palette; most painters throughout history limit their palette to achieve a uniform composition. But van der Weyden’s works do not appear jumbled or too busy—only a true master could achieve such a delicate balance.