Portrait of a Man in a Red Turban

Probably Van Eyck himself

A middle-aged man in a red headdress looks straight at us. His frame carries two inscriptions: at the top, “Als Ich Can” (as I can), Van Eyck’s personal motto; at the bottom, in Latin, that Jan van Eyck made it on 21 October 1433.

Because of the motto and the direct gaze, as if into a mirror, the portrait is widely believed to be a self-portrait. The National Gallery in London, which owns it, presents it as probably so.

Every wrinkle recorded

The face is painted with extraordinary precision: the stubble on the chin, the fine wrinkles around the eyes, the slightly bloodshot whites. Van Eyck built up thin layers of oil paint to create this lifelike surface.

The eyes look sideways at the viewer, which is what happens when an artist paints himself in a mirror.

Not a turban, but a chaperon

The red headgear is often called a turban, but it is a chaperon, a fashionable headdress of the time, its long cloth wound and folded around the head. Its complex folds are a virtuoso display of painting fabric.

As I can

“Als Ich Can” is a play on words: in Flemish, Ich (I) sounds like Eyck. The motto expresses modesty, I do as well as I can, but also pride. Van Eyck used it on other works, including the portrait of his wife Margaret.

A master of oil painting

Jan van Eyck did not invent oil painting, as was once believed, but he perfected it. By building up thin, transparent layers of oil paint, called glazes, he achieved a depth of colour and a precision of detail never seen before. Skin, fabric, metal and light all look astonishingly real in his work.

This small portrait is a perfect example. The stubble on the man’s chin, the fine wrinkles around his eyes and the reflections in his pupils are painted with microscopic care.

The red headdress

The man’s headdress is not really a turban. It is a chaperon, a fashionable hat of the time, made from a long piece of cloth wrapped and folded around the head. Its complicated folds are painted in shades of red, from bright scarlet to deep crimson, and they form a dramatic frame around the face.

Some scholars point out that painting such a complex headdress was a demonstration of skill, perhaps to show what the artist could do.

“As I can”

Van Eyck’s motto, Als Ich Can, is a play on words. It can mean “as best I can”, a modest phrase, but it also puns on his name: “Ich” sounds like “Eyck”. The motto appears on several of his works and was painted on the frame here to look as if it were carved into the wood.

The frame is original and was painted to imitate stone or wood. Van Eyck often treated frames as part of the artwork.

A new kind of portrait

Before Van Eyck, portraits in northern Europe were often in profile. He painted his sitters in three-quarter view, facing the viewer, with direct eye contact. This made portraits more lifelike and personal. His innovation spread across Europe and shaped portraiture for centuries.

Where to see it

The portrait hangs in the National Gallery in London, which also holds Van Eyck’s Arnolfini Portrait. Our hand-painted oil reproduction follows this composition. For more great faces in art, explore our famous portraits.

Questions about Portrait of a Man in a Red Turban

Is it a self-portrait?

It is widely believed to be, because of the motto and the direct gaze.

Where is the original?

The National Gallery, London.

When was it painted?

The frame says 21 October 1433.

What does Als Ich Can mean?

As I can, Van Eyck’s motto, with a pun on his name.

Is it a turban?

It is a chaperon, a fashionable folded headdress of the 1430s.

What does Als Ich Can mean?

“As I can”, a modest motto with a pun on Van Eyck’s name.

Sources and image credit

• The National Gallery, London: Portrait of a Man (Self Portrait?)
• Wikimedia Commons: Portrait of a Man (Self Portrait?)

Public-domain reproduction of Portrait of a Man in a Red Turban (1433), via Wikimedia Commons. Detail images are crops of the same historical painting; no reconstruction or upscaling.