Van Eyck to Rubens: Masters of Flemish Painting

A new course on the history of art in the Southern Netherlands, in which we explore the life and works of Jan van Eyck, Hans Memling, Pieter Bruegel, Peter Paul Rubens, David Teniers, Anthony van Dyck and many others.

Between the early fifteenth and mid seventeenth centuries the cities of Bruges, Ghent, Brussels and Antwerp enjoyed great economic prosperity and artistic prestige, attracting an international mercantile clientele keen to commission works from leading artists such as Jan van Eyck and Hans Memling, whose technical and stylistic innovations would have a transformative impact on the development of European painting. In particular their concentration on naturalistic detail gave portraiture a hitherto unseen degree of accuracy and realism, greatly influencing practitioners of the genre in other countries, from Botticelli and Ghirlandaio to the young Leonardo da Vinci. 

By the early sixteenth century artistic influence had begun to move in the opposite direction, from south to north, and this is clear when we examine the classicising repertoire and Italian mannerism found in the works of Quinten Massys, Jan Gossaert and Pieter Pourbus. However the most popular painter of the 1500s is without doubt Pieter Bruegel the Elder, much-loved for his humorous scenes of everyday life and amusing depictions of merry-making, drinking and dancing.

Despite Flanders’ economic decline and the rise of the Dutch Republic during the seventeenth century, the period saw the emergence of some of the greatest and most popular Flemish painters, notably Peter Paul Rubens. Spanning a wide variety of genres from lyrical landscapes and fleshy nudes to rich mythological canvases and powerful altarpieces, his paintings were coveted by some of the most distinguished and powerful patrons in Europe. Rubens had a flourishing and well-organised studio from which emerged some of the finest painters of the next generation, such as Jacob Jordaens and Anthony van Dyck. It was however in England not Flanders that van Dyck reached the peak of his achievement, where under the service of Charles I he transformed British portraiture imbuing it with a realism and hitherto unknown brilliance of execution.

We are delighted to welcome two special guest lecturers. Dr Paula Nuttall is an international authority on Flemish painting and the author of From Flanders to Florence: the impact of Netherlandish painting 1400-1500. She began lecturing at the British Institute of Florence, and is now an independent scholar based in London. She is Course Tutor for the V&A’s Medieval and Renaissance Year Course, and teaches for a number of other institutions and organisations, including the Courtauld Institute, Christie’s Education and The Arts Society.  Art historian Leslie Primo will also join us for a festive lecture towards the end of the course, discussing the intriguing history of the Three Kings in art, with particular reference to Jan Gossaert’s Adoration of the Magi.

The course will cover Flemish masterpieces within their political, religious, social and economic context. 

Art History in Focus’s courses are characterised by a relaxed and entertaining learning environment, which often allows for lively discussion. Lectures last two hours with a break for refreshments, and the talks are illustrated by high quality digital images. A study day at the National Gallery is included. There will also be an optional extra study day organised during the course looking at Flemish art in the Wallace Collection.

Lectures are on Friday mornings and run from 11.15-1.15; doors open at 11.00

Please note, October 11th and December 6th will be afternoon sessions from 2.30-4.30. There is no lecture on November 1st (half-term)