Van Eyck to Gossaert: Towards a Northern Renaissance

Objects of beauty and prestige, early Netherlandish paintings were among the most widely sought-after works of the Renaissance. Their appeal lay partly in their materials and astonishing descriptive subject matter. Susan Frances Jones examines one of the most glorious and innovative periods for Netherlandish painting, beginning in the early fifteenth century with Jan van Eyck, and ending in the late sixteenth century with Pieter Bruegel the Elder. During this period panel painting came into it's own, as Northern European painters exploited the potential of the medium of oil paint and creative practices shifted in response to the changing demands of the international art market.