Ways to discover the collection

Art around 1500

The time period around 1500 was characterised by diverse religious and intellectual controversy and tension and showed itself to be a phase of radical change. The growing influence of the humanist school of thought gave rise to an awareness of the individual with a greater orientation toward the here and now. A renewed interest in the study of nature began to have an impact on the depiction of religious contents. Thus, a use of contemporary clothing and the placement of scenes in native landscapes brought the sacred and biblical scenes forward into modern times. In addition to ever larger altar retables that featured scenes with large numbers of figures, there was a growing demand for small-scale sculptures for private devotion. These were often pieces produced in large numbers for export; they were made in the major art centres of Antwerp, Brussels and Mechelen, labelled appropriately and shipped all over Europe. Their growing popularity and the sheer scope of the pieces made it impossible for individual sculptors to meet the demand by themselves. Instead, a division of labour was established. This means that behind the names of the big masters, such as Arnt van Tricht or Master Tilman, there was usually an entire workshop.