In the art historical discourse, much has been said about the influence of Italian art on Dutch and Flemish art. Many northern artists are seen in this light, and the fact that there has been a period in which the Italians preferred Flemish art is largely forgotten. This period roughly falls in the fifteenth century, so before the Renaissance, in which the artistic focus shifts to Italy. This page is about the period in which Flemish art and artists are the most popular in Europe, a period which is short-lived but very interesting. Concerning this period, I will look at the art trade relations between the two areas. I want to find out who the patrons were that bought and commissioned Flemish art, why they favoured Flemish art, how art was transported, if artists travelled, and if so how and why. My main question would be: what did the art trade network between the Netherlands and Italy look like?
To answer this question, I first looked at the context. The politics and economy of both areas have influenced the trade between them, and have thus also influenced the art trade.
Italy wasn’t a unity: it consisted mostly of city-states. This means that each city had their own politics, heroic stories, and trades, and were highly individual. They were often at war with each other. The Italian cities had for a degree survived the barbaric invasions which were so disastrous to northern European cities.
The Flemish areas were under control of the dukes of Burgundy, whose empire was big but scattered. It reached from what is now the south of the Netherlands to the south of France, but only certain areas were under the control of the dukes. Because of this, the dukes were always busy keeping their empire together, which left the Flemish areas to mostly fend for themselves. These areas had a sense of independence. Cities like Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp were especially economically thriving in the fifteenth century.
From the moment the sea-route was opened between Italy and Flanders, there was travel. The Italians also supported the duke of Burgundy in the Hundred Years war, who rewarded them with a treaty. In this treaty, signed in 1395, it was said that Italian traders were under the protection of the duke. Especially from this moment on, many Italian merchants settled in Flanders.
I have looked at some ‘case-studies’ after this. These were individual paintings, artists, and groups of artists, who have something to do with this period. With these cases, I have explained how art commissions, travel, transport, and trade went in this period, and how eventually the taste or Flemish art disappeared. My case studies were about Flemish weavers and sculptors in Italy, two paintings commissioned by Italian merchants in Flanders (the Last Judgement, painted by Hans Memling for Angelo Tani (see banner) and the Portinari Altarpiece painted by Hugo van der Goes for Tommasso Portinari, see below) and two individual painters who travelled to Italy, Joos van Wassenhove and Maarten Heemskerck. During the life of the last one, the taste for Flemish art had already disappeared and his life stands in stark contrast with the life of the painters before him, like Joos van Wassenhove.
My conclusion was that the peak of artistic relations between Flanders and Italy lay around 1460. In this period, many artists travelled to Italy in search of a job. Flemish artists were most likely to travel, according to previous done studies: this desire to travel was known in Europe, and Flemish artists were wanted because of this. Artists from all trades, like weavers, sculptors and painters went to Italy. Art that was commissioned by Italian merchants in Flanders were also sent to Italy, despite the fragility of the paintings, which made them difficult to transport. Paintings of artists like Hans Memling, Hugo van der Goes, Jan van Eyck and Rogier van der Weyden were present and admired in Italy by humanists such as Bartolomeo Facio.
However, there was no fixed art network in this period between the two areas. Art was – and is – a luxury item, used to show off, and only works of art that were already commissioned came to Italy. Some artists were asked to come to Italy, like master weavers from the big centres and sculptors. Although there were art markets, such as the ‘Our Lady’s Pand’ in Antwerp, these were probably not frequented by wealthy Italian merchants.
The artistic network between Flanders and Italy was at its high point when the economy of Flanders was also thriving. This allowed for a European-wide trade network, which set things in motion for the art market. The popularity of Flemish paintings was therefore an effect of the good economy of Flanders. When the economy declined, the merchants disappeared, and with them the taste for Flemish art.
Italy wasn’t a unity: it consisted mostly of city-states. This means that each city had their own politics, heroic stories, and trades, and were highly individual. They were often at war with each other. The Italian cities had for a degree survived the barbaric invasions which were so disastrous to northern European cities.
The Flemish areas were under control of the dukes of Burgundy, whose empire was big but scattered. It reached from what is now the south of the Netherlands to the south of France, but only certain areas were under the control of the dukes. Because of this, the dukes were always busy keeping their empire together, which left the Flemish areas to mostly fend for themselves. These areas had a sense of independence. Cities like Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp were especially economically thriving in the fifteenth century.
From the moment the sea-route was opened between Italy and Flanders, there was travel. The Italians also supported the duke of Burgundy in the Hundred Years war, who rewarded them with a treaty. In this treaty, signed in 1395, it was said that Italian traders were under the protection of the duke. Especially from this moment on, many Italian merchants settled in Flanders.
I have looked at some ‘case-studies’ after this. These were individual paintings, artists, and groups of artists, who have something to do with this period. With these cases, I have explained how art commissions, travel, transport, and trade went in this period, and how eventually the taste or Flemish art disappeared. My case studies were about Flemish weavers and sculptors in Italy, two paintings commissioned by Italian merchants in Flanders (the Last Judgement, painted by Hans Memling for Angelo Tani (see banner) and the Portinari Altarpiece painted by Hugo van der Goes for Tommasso Portinari, see below) and two individual painters who travelled to Italy, Joos van Wassenhove and Maarten Heemskerck. During the life of the last one, the taste for Flemish art had already disappeared and his life stands in stark contrast with the life of the painters before him, like Joos van Wassenhove.
My conclusion was that the peak of artistic relations between Flanders and Italy lay around 1460. In this period, many artists travelled to Italy in search of a job. Flemish artists were most likely to travel, according to previous done studies: this desire to travel was known in Europe, and Flemish artists were wanted because of this. Artists from all trades, like weavers, sculptors and painters went to Italy. Art that was commissioned by Italian merchants in Flanders were also sent to Italy, despite the fragility of the paintings, which made them difficult to transport. Paintings of artists like Hans Memling, Hugo van der Goes, Jan van Eyck and Rogier van der Weyden were present and admired in Italy by humanists such as Bartolomeo Facio.
However, there was no fixed art network in this period between the two areas. Art was – and is – a luxury item, used to show off, and only works of art that were already commissioned came to Italy. Some artists were asked to come to Italy, like master weavers from the big centres and sculptors. Although there were art markets, such as the ‘Our Lady’s Pand’ in Antwerp, these were probably not frequented by wealthy Italian merchants.
The artistic network between Flanders and Italy was at its high point when the economy of Flanders was also thriving. This allowed for a European-wide trade network, which set things in motion for the art market. The popularity of Flemish paintings was therefore an effect of the good economy of Flanders. When the economy declined, the merchants disappeared, and with them the taste for Flemish art.
References.
Alexander-Skipnes, Ingrid (ed.): Cultural exchange between the low countries and Italy (1400-1600), 2007, Brepolis, Turnhout.
Instituto Universitario Olandese di Storia dell’Arte Firenze (edited by Victor M. Schmidt, Gert Jan van der Sman, Marilena Vecchi, Jeanne van Waadenoijen): Italy and the Low Countries – artistic relations in the fifteenth century, 1994, Centro Di, Florence.
Jong, Jan de / Meijers, Dulcia / Pennock, Hanna / Schmidt, Victor (editors): Nederlands Kunsthistorisch Jaarboek 1999 deel 4: Nederland-Italië: Relaties in de beeldende kunst van de Nederlanden en Italië, 1993, Waanders uitgeverij, Zwolle.
Turner, Richard: Renaissance Florence, the invention of a new art, 1997, Laurence King Publishing Limited, London.
Wirtz, Rolf, Kunst en Architectuur: Florence, 2005, Uitgeverij Uniepers, Abcoude.
Articles.
Ewing, Dan: “Marketing art in Antwerp, 1460-1560: Our Lady’s Pand”, the art bulletin, vol.72, no.4 (dec.1994), pp.558-584
Lane, Barbara: “The patron and the pirate: the mystery of Memling’s Gdansk Last Judgement”, the art bulletin, vol.73, no.4 (dec.1999), pp. 623-640
Open Universiteit Heerlen, Oudnederlande schilderkunst, waardering en onderzoek in de negentiende en twintigste eeuw, werkboek, 1995, Open universiteit Heerlen, pp. 163-188
Alexander-Skipnes, Ingrid (ed.): Cultural exchange between the low countries and Italy (1400-1600), 2007, Brepolis, Turnhout.
Instituto Universitario Olandese di Storia dell’Arte Firenze (edited by Victor M. Schmidt, Gert Jan van der Sman, Marilena Vecchi, Jeanne van Waadenoijen): Italy and the Low Countries – artistic relations in the fifteenth century, 1994, Centro Di, Florence.
Jong, Jan de / Meijers, Dulcia / Pennock, Hanna / Schmidt, Victor (editors): Nederlands Kunsthistorisch Jaarboek 1999 deel 4: Nederland-Italië: Relaties in de beeldende kunst van de Nederlanden en Italië, 1993, Waanders uitgeverij, Zwolle.
Turner, Richard: Renaissance Florence, the invention of a new art, 1997, Laurence King Publishing Limited, London.
Wirtz, Rolf, Kunst en Architectuur: Florence, 2005, Uitgeverij Uniepers, Abcoude.
Articles.
Ewing, Dan: “Marketing art in Antwerp, 1460-1560: Our Lady’s Pand”, the art bulletin, vol.72, no.4 (dec.1994), pp.558-584
Lane, Barbara: “The patron and the pirate: the mystery of Memling’s Gdansk Last Judgement”, the art bulletin, vol.73, no.4 (dec.1999), pp. 623-640
Open Universiteit Heerlen, Oudnederlande schilderkunst, waardering en onderzoek in de negentiende en twintigste eeuw, werkboek, 1995, Open universiteit Heerlen, pp. 163-188
R.K.