Organized in collaboration with the Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage in Brussels (IRPA), the exhibition first opens at the National Museum of History and Art Luxembourg before being presented at the Surmondt-Ludwig-Museum in Aachen.
Albrecht Bouts (1451/55-1549) is the son of Dirk Bouts (ca. 1415-1475). He takes over his father’s workshop in 1475 and runs it until his death in 1549. Albrecht specializes in portraits of Christ, the Holy Virgin and Saint John the Baptist for contemplation. This movement, known as Devotio Moderna, encourages the faithful to pray in private in front of devotional images to stimulate empathy. In order to satisfy a growing demand for such images, Albrecht Bouts’s workshop expands into a large enterprise, producing paintings in great number. While some are based on famous prototypes by Dirk Bouts, Albrecht creates a number of successful new compositions.
The most prestigious devotional paintings by Dirk and Albrecht Bouts and their workshop are presented together with works by great contemporary Southern Netherlandish masters such as Hans Memling, Colyn de Coter and Simon Marmion. A range of sculptures that echo the iconography of the paintings enrich the visitor’s experience.
Curators: Peter van den Brink, Dr. Dagmar Preising, Wibke Birth