The Flemish Masters

A fresh look at the astounding innovations of Netherlandish Renaissance painting through 48 case studies

This sumptuous publication opens our eyes afresh to the revolution that took place in the Low Countries in the 15th and 16th centuries, and which shaped the course of European art. In 48 lavishly illustrated analyses, Matthias Depoorter explores how painters such as Jan van Eyck, Rogier van der Weyden, Quentin Massys, Hieronymus Bosch and Pieter Bruegel reached unprecedented heights of technical and aesthetic facility and are rightly considered key innovators in the story of Western painting to this day.

A defining factor in their innovations was the perfecting and mastery of oil painting technique, as well as their groundbreaking attention to optical lighting effects. The new technical possibilities offered a different way of looking at the world, and ultimately a new way of painting. No less innovative was the level of detail achieved by these artists (most famously, perhaps, by Van Eyck). These painters were thoroughly acquainted with one another’s work, and The Flemish Masters explores this artistic cross-fertilization. Altogether this volume constitutes a must-read for anyone who wants to fall in love with the old masterpieces anew.