The Southern Netherlandsโbetter known today as Flandersโwas home to revolutionary artists. These extraordinary painters found new ways to depict reality, portray humanity, and tell stories that continue to resonate with viewers today. Antwerp, on the river Scheldt, was the most important port in northern Europe and the strategic hub for trade and finance.
The visual arts thrived in this dynamic and flourishing environment, resulting in new artistic genres and styles and a fresh approach toward images. The artworks in this exhibition open a doorway into the past, telling the story of enterprising townspeople, prosperous cities, and an ever-developing society. They also detail stories about dreams and ambitions, fears and desires, and what it means to be human.
These artworks transport us back hundreds of years to Flanders, a slice of Europe south of the Netherlands in Northern Belgium. By the s, Flanders had become the financial powerhouse of Europe with global trading connections.
Its cities were filled with artists working for wealthy patrons, eager to display their status and interests. Their art ranged from pious religious images to grand portraits, scenes from everyday life and stories from mythology. They also depicted nature and the latest scientific advances, all treated with a sense of realism and detail that marked a radical change in European art.
On your audio journey into this vivid bustling world, you'll hear from Dr. Welcome to Flanders โ or, Welkom in Vlaanderen! Many turned to the Catholic Church with its promise of eternal salvation.
