Burgundian and adjacent territories

Ruled by a succession of very wealthy Dukes, Burgundy (today parts of France, Germany, Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands) produced some of the most important art of the 15th century.

1400 - 1500 (Northern Renaissance)

videos + essays

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The Holy Thorn Reliquary of Jean, duc de Berry
The Holy Thorn Reliquary of Jean, duc de Berry

Jean, duc de Berry spared no expense for this dazzling reliquary containing a thorn from the Crown of Thorns.

Stefan Lochner, <em>Madonna of the Rose Bower</em>
Stefan Lochner, Madonna of the Rose Bower

The overriding quality of Lochner's Madonna of the Rose Bower is an intense sweetness.

Hans Memling, <em>Diptych of Maarten van Nieuwenhove</em>
Hans Memling, Diptych of Maarten van Nieuwenhove

Diptych of Maarten van Nieuwenhove is one of the most important diptychs of the fifteenth century, both for its innovative subject matter and condition.

Rogier van der Weyden, <i>Saint Luke Drawing the Virgin</i>
Rogier van der Weyden, Saint Luke Drawing the Virgin

What does the Virgin Mary look like?

Petrus Christus, <em>A Goldsmith in his Shop</em>
Petrus Christus, A Goldsmith in his Shop

We stand on a Bruges street and approach a goldsmith’s shop. Hang on, is that a falcon? Looks like we have company.

Hugo van der Goes, <em>Portinari Altarpiece</em>
Hugo van der Goes, Portinari Altarpiece

This particular artwork perfectly embodies all the things that northern European painters were thought to do best.

Fit for a duke: Broederlam’s <em>Crucifixion Altarpiece</em>
Fit for a duke: Broederlam’s Crucifixion Altarpiece

Introducing a lavish altarpiece with vibrant images. Exploring the narrative and visual threads that connect its featured stories.

The question of pregnancy in Jan van Eyck’s <em>Arnolfini Portrait</em>
The question of pregnancy in Jan van Eyck’s Arnolfini Portrait

Van Eyck’s enigmatic and iconic double portrait often prompts the question: is the female figure pregnant?

Rogier van der Weyden, <em>The Crucifixion, with the Virgin and Saint John the Evangelist Mourning</em>
Rogier van der Weyden, The Crucifixion, with the Virgin and Saint John the Evangelist Mourning

Mary cries and falls into John’s arms. Rogier’s precise observations accentuate the emotional impact of this scene.

Herman, Paul, and Jean de Limbourg, <em>The Belles Heures</em> of Jean de France, Duc de Berry
Herman, Paul, and Jean de Limbourg, The Belles Heures of Jean de France, Duc de Berry

Open this astonishing book and see how three brothers invented compositional devices to unite text and image.

Workshop of Robert Campin, <em>Annunciation Triptych (Merode Altarpiece</em>)
Workshop of Robert Campin, Annunciation Triptych (Merode Altarpiece)

Look closely—not only is the level of detail here astonishing, but these everyday objects embody religious symbols.

Jan van Eyck, <em>Portrait of a Man in a Red Turban (Self-Portrait?)</em>
Jan van Eyck, Portrait of a Man in a Red Turban (Self-Portrait?)

“As I can.” On the frame to this portrait, the painter humblebrags—and establishes his place in history.

Selected Contributors