, younger brother to the preceding, and the supposed inventor of oil-painting, was borii at Maaseyk
, younger brother to the preceding, and the supposed inventor of oil-painting, was borii at Maaseyk in 1370, and studied with his brother, whom he afterwards excelled. His great discovery is said to have been made in 1410, in the following manner: He had painted a picture in the usual way (in distemper), and having varnished it, set it to dry in the sun’s rays, as was customary; but either from the wood being ill seasoned and ill put together, or from the extreme violence of the heat, the picture was cracked and quite spoiled. He therefore deliberated how he should in future best prevent accidents of this nature happening to his works, and endeavoured to make a varnish which would dry in the shade, without the necessity of exposing it to the sun. After many experiments, he found at last that oil of linseed and of nuts, were more siccative than any others he had tried. These, when boiled with other ingredients, made the varnish so much wished for by him and other painters. He afterwards discovered that mixing these oils with his colours gave them a hardness, and in drying not only equalled the water colour, but gave them more brilliancy and force and that, without the necessity of varnishing afterwards and he was surprised to find also, that they united far better in oil than in water.