This radical new examination of one of the most important Flemish Masters presents Bouts as a maker of images—and considers his oeuvre alongside the work of current-day filmmakers, game creators, and sports photographers.

One of the foremost painters of the 15th century, Dieric Bouts was a master of composition, technical precision, and spiritual messaging. But, as this innovative exhibition catalog suggests, he was also a shrewd commercial artist, successfully procuring important commissions, and expertly conveying religious devotion. Filled with new perspectives informed by the latest research, this volume explores how Bouts’ career was influenced by the cultural and political environment of his hometown of Leuven. Filled with luminous reproductions and photographs of Bouts’ most important paintings and altarpieces, it focuses on several in depth, including The Last Supper, The Triptych of the Descent from the Cross, The Martyrdom of Saint Erasmus with Saints Jerome and Bernard, and Christ Crowned with Thorns. Refreshing and authoritative, this unconventional perspective on a painter who lived half a millennium ago is certain to surprise and satisfy scholars and fans of Bouts and of Renaissance artists in general.

PETER CARPREAU served as Curator of the Old Masters and Collection Department of M Leuven until July 2022, when he was appointed Deputy Director-General of the World Heritage Institute in Brussels. His research focuses on perception, visual literacy, and the value of art.

STEPHAN KEMPERDICK is Curator of Early Netherlandish and Early German Painting at the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin, specialized in the painting of the 13th to 16th century originating north of the Alps. In 2023, he curated the exhibition Hugo Van Der Goes: Between Pain and Bliss.

TILL-HOLGER BORCHERT is director at Suermondt-Ludwig-Museum in Aachen and specialized in 14th to 16th century painting and sculpture. Among the numerous books he has published is Van Eyck. An Optical Revolution (2020).