LEUVEN.- M, for the first time, highlights the artistic exchange between Italy and the Low Countries in the 16th century. Featuring masterpieces from renowned international museums, the exhibition tells the fascinating story of mutual influence, virtuoso craftsmanship, and a drive for innovation. Sculptures, paintings, drawings and prints reveal how artists from the Low Countries, who worked in Italy, left their mark on the visual language of the Renaissance.
“The ‘Scultori Fiamminghi’ exhibition shows how movement, exchange and international networks drove art and culture forward – a story that resonates today more than ever.”– Bert Cornillie, Alderman for Culture and Chair of the board of directors of M Leuven
Pioneers in the Low Countries
In the early 16th century, pioneers such as Jan Gossaert, Pieter Coecke van Aelst and Cornelis Floris introduced the Italian Renaissance to Flanders. Gradually, Flemish sculptors left the Gothic style behind for good. In the exhibition, you will be introduced to Jacques Dubroecq, the Low Countries’ first true Renaissance sculptor. After his trip to Italy, this court artist of Mary of Hungary became the first to put into practice what he saw across the Alps. The work of transitional figures such as Jacques Jonghelinck also features prominently in the exhibition.
Fiamminghi across the Alps
The Renaissance made its way to Flanders, but many Flemish artists also made their way to Italy. Giambologna (Jean [de] Boulogne) crossed the Alps never to return. He developed an innovative and influential oeuvre from his studio in Florence. His workshop became a magnet for talent from the North, including Pietro Francavilla, Johann Gregor van der Schardt and Adriaen De Vries. Around 1575, Flemish artists with Italian-sounding names, such as Egidio Della Riviera, Nicolo Pippi and Coppe Fiammingo, were equally influential in Rome.
Due to their unique blend of technical expertise and artistic ingenuity, the influence of these scultori fiamminghi [Flemish sculptors] swept across Europe, from the Scandinavian countries to the Spanish court.
The exhibition concludes with works by the Brussels family of sculptors, Duquesnoy, and the Utrecht-born brothers Robert and Andries De Nole. Their work demonstrates how the Counter-Reformation gave new impetus to religious sculpture at the end of the 16th century.
Masterpieces
In the exhibition, 16th-century sculptures from M’s collection shine alongside other masterpieces from international museums, such as the Bargello and the Uffizi (Florence), the Louvre (Paris), the V&A (London), the Rijksmuseum (Amsterdam), the Kunsthistorisches Museum (Vienna), the Vatican collections, and works from various churches and private collections. Thanks in part to this impressive list of international lenders, this exhibition reinforces the museum’s position as a leading centre for medieval and Renaissance sculpture.
"The exhibition presents new insights into the artistic exchange between the Low Countries and Italy, based on recent research, and reaffirms M’s position as a leading centre of expertise in medieval and Renaissance sculpture." - Marjan Debaene, Director of Old Masters at M Leuven and exhibition curator
M is the driving force behind the international ARDS research network
The exhibition also stems from the research carried out by ARDS, the Association for Research and Documentation on Medieval and Renaissance Sculpture. M Leuven is the driving force behind this international research network, with Marjan Debaene, curator and Director of Old Masters, acting as coordinator. The museum, which boasts an exceptional collection from this period, also houses the ARDS’s scientific library and documentation centre .
In 2023, Rome hosted a colloquium entitled 'Beyond the Alps. Artistic Exchanges between the Low Countries and Italy in Medieval and Renaissance Sculpture'.
The 13th ARDS Congress will take place from 26 to 27 November 2026 at M Leuven, and its theme is ‘Innovative research tools and methodologies for the study of medieval and Renaissance sculpture’
