This course provides a comprehensive introduction to the world of the early Netherlandish painters of the fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries, focusing on the art of Jan van Eyck, Robert Campin, Rogier van der Weyden, Hans Memling, and other masters. Placing strong emphasis on visual analysis, the course will consider paintings such as the famous Ghent Altarpiece and the Prado Deposition within their wider historical, religious, cultural and visual contexts. These contexts include the role of the art market, the religious and social function of art, and the emergence of new ways of viewing and representing the world in the early decades of the 15th century. Estimated cost of materials: $ 50 or more, but less than $100. IV. 2, 3