Susie Nash Libri

This book offers a wide-ranging introduction to the way that art was made, valued, and viewed in northern Europe in the age of the Renaissance, from the late fourteenth to the early years of the sixteenth century. Drawing on a rich range of sources, from inventories and guild regulations to poetry and chronicles, it examines everything from panel paintings to carved altarpieces.While many little-known works are foregrounded, Susie Nash also presents new ways of viewing and understanding the more familiar, such as the paintings of Jan van Eyck, Rogier van der Weyden, and Hans Memling, by considering the social and economic context of their creation and reception. Throughout, Nash challenges the perception that Italy was the European leader in artistic innovation at this time, demonstrating forcefully that Northern art, and particularly that of the Southern Netherlands, dominated visual culture throughout Europe in this crucial period.

This catalogue accompanied an exhibition at the Groeninge Museum, Bruges, which celebrated one of the greatest European artists of the late fourteenth century, Andre Beauneveu, apparently born in Valenciennes c. 1335.

The book features a collection of 15th- and early 16th-century panels primarily from northern Europe, showcasing works influenced by Netherlandish artistry rather than Italian styles. These largely unknown pieces have not undergone modern investigative techniques such as infrared or x-ray analysis. The focus is on their artistic quality, despite challenges in attribution and connections to specific masters.