Early Netherlandish Painting in the 16th Century: From Bosch to Breughel

How can it be that the mysterious works that Jheronimus Bosch created 500 years ago are still puzzling art historians today? Why was Pieter Bruegel the Elder so fascinated with Bosch that he set out to emulate him, 50 years after the death of his famous predecessor? This course surveys painting in the Low Countries between c. 1500 and c. 1570. Triggered by the Reformation and the advent of Humanism, this period is characterized by major political upheaval and military conflict, resulting in important changes in the patronage, production, marketing, and function of art.