The video recording of Maarten Bassens’s presentation at CODART 27 will be available from 1 October 2026 onwards.

Catharina van Hemessen: Fact, Fiction and Flemish Brushwork
Today, Catharina van Hemessen stands as the archetype of female artistic achievement within the canon of Netherlandish art. This is especially true since her small but refined oeuvre establishes her as the earliest known female painter of the Northern Renaissance, with securely attributed pieces. Already lauded by her contemporaries, Catharina continues to resonate powerfully, particularly in today’s climate of heightened awareness around gender, authorship, and cultural inclusion. Yet the question remains: what rightful place can she claim within our shared cultural heritage?
Rather than presenting her as a “rediscovered anomaly,” the forthcoming exhibition Van Hemessen & Father at The Snijders&Rockox House (Winter 2026–27) seeks to contextualize Catharina within the familial workshop, where she painted alongside her father Jan Sanders, her brothers, and several assistants. Following the Antwerp exhibition, a selection of works will travel to the National Gallery in London in spring 2027. In his talk, Bassens will reflect on the curatorial complexities of this project and treat attendees to an enticing preview.

Maarten Bassens

Snijders&Rockhoxhuis, Antwerp
Dr. Maarten Bassens is Curator at the museum Snijders&Rockox House in Antwerp. He was awarded his PhD by the Catholic University of Leuven for a dissertation on the graphic oeuvre of Pieter Bruegel the Elder. His academic focus lies in 16th-century Netherlandish print and drawing culture, while his curatorial work extends into early modern Antwerp painting and tapestry. Bassens has previously held positions at diverse museums and institutions, including The Royal Library of Belgium (KBR) in Brussels and The Courtauld Institute of Art in London.