▁Jan ▁van ▁E y ck , ▁the ▁famous ▁F lem ish ▁painter . ▁These ▁are : ▁The ▁Arn olf ini ▁Port rait ▁of ▁Giovanni ▁and ▁his ▁wife , ▁dated ▁ 1 4 3 4 ▁and ▁now ▁in ▁London , ▁and ▁another ▁portrait , ▁evidently ▁of ▁the ▁same ▁s itter ▁when ▁slightly ▁older , ▁now ▁in ▁Berlin ▁( below ). ▁▁ ▁He ▁was ▁pres umably ▁born ▁in ▁Lu cca , ▁where ▁his ▁parents ▁lived , ▁but ▁neither ▁the ▁place ▁nor ▁the ▁date ▁are ▁documented . ▁He ▁was ▁sent ▁to ▁Bru ges ▁whilst ▁still ▁techn ically ▁a ▁child , ▁as ▁the ▁first ▁record ▁of ▁him ▁is ▁a ▁letter ▁from ▁his ▁father ▁Nicola o ▁in ▁Lu cca ▁to ▁his ▁agent ▁in ▁Bru ges ▁in ▁ 1 4 1 9 ▁emp ower ing ▁the ▁agent ▁to ▁" eman cip ate " ▁Giovanni ▁- ▁that ▁is , ▁to ▁declare ▁him ▁adult . ▁Since ▁there ▁was ▁no ▁fixed ▁age ▁for ▁this , ▁it ▁gives ▁no ▁real ▁clue ▁as ▁to ▁his ▁date ▁of ▁birth . ▁▁ ▁In ▁the ▁next ▁few ▁years ▁Giovanni ▁di ▁Nicola o ▁worked ▁with ▁a ▁very ▁successful ▁Italian ▁merchant , ▁Marco ▁Gu id ic c ioni , ▁another ▁Luc ch ese ▁who ▁was ▁connected ▁to ▁him ▁by ▁marriage . ▁Records ▁of ▁some ▁of ▁his ▁deal ings ▁with ▁the ▁Du cal ▁court ▁have ▁surv ived , ▁but ▁these ▁were ▁probably ▁only ▁part ▁of ▁his ▁business ▁activities . ▁In ▁ 1 4 2 2 ▁he ▁tried ▁to ▁sell ▁a ▁valuable ▁gold ▁col lar ▁to ▁King ▁Henry ▁V ▁of ▁England