Early Netherlandish Painting at the Crossroads: A Critical Look at Current Methodologies

Drawing on the growing interdisciplinary activity and burgeoning scholarship in the field, the essays in this volume offer to shed light on the circumstances underlying the creation of early Netherlandish paintings. The contributors, all scholars of Netherlandish art, emphasize the importance of socioeconomic factors, especially the impact of art markets in the late-15th and early-16th centuries on the production of altarpieces. They also focus on information gleaned from the technical investigation of works of art, demonstrating that their meaning often lies in their method of manufacture as well as in the function they originally served for their intended audience. Other topics addressed in this volume include the relationship of text and image, archival work, and economic/art market developments. Each topic is considered in two parts: the first summarizes the history of the approach so far, along with suggested guidelines for current research, and the second charts new territory for future investigations.