'', now in the
Prado, Madrid Although heavily indebted to late 14th-century
manuscript illumination aesthetics, Campin displayed greater powers of
realistic observation than any other painter before him. He was one of the first to experiment with the use of oil-based colours, in lieu of egg-based tempera, to achieve the brilliance of color typical for this period. Campin used the new technique to convey strong, rounded characters by modelling light and shade in compositions of complex perspectives. Art historians have long been keen to trace the beginnings of the
Northern Renaissance – with far less evidence to go on than in Italy. For a long time it was thought that
Jan van Eyck was the first painter to make full use of the innovations apparent in manuscript illumination in
panel painting. By the end of the 19th century it became clear, however, that Van Eyck was the contemporary of an artist who painted a number of works, including the
Mérode Altarpiece. Dated to about 1428, the altarpiece (now in
the Cloisters of the
Metropolitan Museum of Art) is permeated with loving attention to details and realism. Three other panels in a similar manner, supposed to come from the so-called abbey of
Flémalle (it has been established that there was, in fact, no such abbey), are now in
Frankfurt. It was argued that these works belong to one "Master of Flémalle", whose identity at that time could not be established. In the 20th century, several scholars suggested that the Master of Flémalle may be Robert Campin, documented as a master painter in
Tournai from 1406. The argument derives from a paper mentioning two pupils entering his studio in 1427 –
Jacques Daret and Rogelet de la Pasture. The latter was probably
Rogier van der Weyden. A very well-documented altarpiece by Daret shows striking similarities with the works of Master of Flémalle, as do early works by Rogier. Therefore, it is tempting to assume that both Daret and Rogier were disciples of the Master of Flémalle, i.e. Robert Campin. Another possibility, however, is that the Flémalle panels were painted by Rogier himself when he was still in his twenties. Some scholars have even attributed the famous
Deposition in the Prado (Madrid) to Campin rather than Van der Weyden. The tightest definition of the works from his own hand includes only the "Flémalle" panels, a ''
'Nativity at Dijon, a Crucified Thief
(fragment of a Crucifixion
) in Frankfurt, two portraits of a man and woman in London (of around 1430), and perhaps the Seilern Triptych''. This, which excludes the best known works usually attributed to him, which are then assigned to his workshop or followers, is the position taken by Lorne Campbell. ==Work==