Van Eyck to Gossaert : Towards a Northern Renaissance

Netherlandish painting of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries still has the power to astonish.

Its seemingly impossible level of detail, fascination with the surface appearance of things, subtle depiction of light and an uncompromising attitude to rendering the idiosyncrasies of the human face, all contribute to an art of intense beauty and sophistication.

In their day, Netherlandish artists were internationally renowned; their mastery of the medium of oil paint was emulated across Europe while their interest in landscape and depiction of everyday subjects gave rise to new genres of art.

This film explores the richness of this art, its international impact - particularly on the art of Renaissance Italy - and discovers how a small corner of northern Europe gave rise to one of the most fertile periods of cultural production in the history of western art. It includes: exclusive location footage exploring the historic cities in which the art was made; interviews with leading experts in the field; insight into the artists' working methods revealed by the Gallery's Conservation and Scientific Departments; a demonstration of the preparation and use of oil paint; close examination of the works in the context of other Netherlandish art forms including book illumination and tapestry.

It is approximately 40 minutes. It is region free. It includes widescreen. It provides English subtitles. Published alongside the exhibition Jan Gossaert's Renaissance, National Gallery, London, 23 February - 30 May 2011.