Early Netherlandish Carved Altarpieces, 1380–1550
Early Netherlandish Carved Altarpieces, 1380–1550
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The carved wooden altarpieces produced in the South Netherlands from the late fourteenth- to the mid-sixteenth centuries are among the most lavish and splendid examples of late medieval art. Though currently one of the least known and appreciated types of Netherlandish art, such altarpieces were the most common form of decoration on the high altars of churches in the Lowlands during the late Gothic period. Exported in huge numbers throughout much of Europe, these retables include high distinctive visual and iconographic features. These detailed narratives and masterful combinations of painting, sculpture, and architectural decoration powerfully express religious tastes and aesthetics of the late medieval period. This study also demonstrates how these works, despite their large size and complexity, were often sold on the open market, thus providing evidence of the expanding capitalistic orientation of the Netherlandish art market at the end of the middle ages.
- First monographic treatment of Netherlandish carved altarpieces in English
- Provides new insights into the art market in the Netherlands in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries
- Compares Netherlandish altarpieces to German, Italian and Spanish altarpieces of the period
Reviews & endorsements
'In contrast to the paintings, the study of Netherlandish scuplted altarpieces is an underdeveloped area. Lynn Jacobs sets out to re-address …' The Art Newspaper
Product details
August 1998Hardback
9780521474832
368 pages
262 × 185 × 28 mm
1.16kg
91 b/w illus.
Unavailable - out of print
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Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Part I. Medieval Tastes:
- 1. Narrative
- 2. The combination of painting and sculpture
- 3. Architectural ornament
- Part II. Mass Marketing:
- 4. Market sales
- 5. Commissioned sales
- 6. The relation between market and commissioned sales
- 7. Workshop production
- Conclusion.
