This book was published on the occasion of the exhibition “Jan van Eyck, de Vlaamse Primitieven en bet Zuiden, 1430‐1530”, held at the Groeningemuseum, Bruges, March‐ June, 2002, as part of “Bruges – European City of Culture”. It presents a detailed catalogue of the exhibition and a collection of essays by renowned scholars on the relationship between early Netherlandish masters and painters from southern Europe.
Some 130 paintings were included in the exhibition, all of which are illustrated in colour in the catalogue section. Detailed entries include information on the artist and analysis of the painting looking at style, technique and authenticity. The series of essays explores the complex artistic, cultural, socio‐economic and political relationships between the Burgundian Netherlands and the Mediterranean. The exhibition centred on the work of Jan van Eyck (active 1432‐1441) and his followers: the Master of Flemalle, Rogier van der Weyden, Hugo van der Goes, Hans Memling and Gerard David. All these artists flowered during the period of the formation and expansion of a mighty Burgundian state in the prosperous Netherlands and neighbouring regions to the east and west.
The essays follow two major lines of enquiry. First, to explore how far dynastic relations in fifteenth century Europe influenced the dissemination of Flemish arts, second, to explore how quickly and in what way early Netherlandish painters exerted influence on their French, Spanish, Portuguese and Italian counterparts. They aim to show how Jan van Eyck led a “quiet”, but unmistakable revolution, leaving visible influences on southern European artists, such as Jean Fouquet and Filippo Lippi.
The exhibition and essays are intended to stimulate further research, exploring the relationship between the Mediterranean world and early Netherlandish painting. The work is beautifully illustrated and will be of interest to general readers as well as scholars. This is an important exhibition and groundbreaking publication, which aims to set the world of Jan van Eyck within a wider context than previously explored.
