Netherlandish Sculpture, 1450-1550

In this lavishly illustrated book, more than 50 pieces have been selected to demonstrate the different uses to which sculpture was put in the seminal period 1450-1550. The sculptures range in subject from statues of the Virgin and Child and the most celebrated saints of the Middle Ages to reliefs containing New Testament narratives, and in material from alabaster and stone to different types of wood, including oak, walnut and boxwood; and many of the pieces retain their original polychrome decoration. Introductory essays place the sculptures in their historical, artistic and technical context, and new light is cast on the important collecting activities of the English from the early 19th century onwards. Each of the sculptures discussed in detail is illustrated in colour and comparative photographs are included of related pieces.

Netherlandish Late Medieval sculpture has by comparison with contemporary painting remained little known, and the holdings of the Victoria and Albert Museum have likewise received scant scholarly attention until now. There are, however, notable examples of sculpture from most of the major Netherlandish centres in the Museum's collection, including Antwerp, Brussels, Malines (Mechelen) and Utrecht, and the principal categories of sculptural production -- the free-standing figure, the altarpiece and the small-scale devotional aid -- are all represented.

In this lavishly illustrated book, more than 50 pieces have been selected to demonstrate the different uses to which sculpture was put in the seminal period 1450-1550. The sculptures range in subject from statues of the Virgin and Child and the most celebrated saints of the Middle Ages to reliefs containing New Testament narratives, and in material from alabaster and stone to different types of wood, including oak, walnut and boxwood; and many of the pieces retain their original polychrome decoration. Introductory essays place the sculptures in their historical, artistic and technical context, and new light is cast on the important collecting activities of the English from the early 19th century onwards. Each of the sculptures discussed in detail is illustrated in colour and comparative photographs are included of related pieces.

Library Journal

Williamson (European Sculpture), the Victoria and Albert Museum's curator of sculpture, metalwork, ceramics, and glass, here selects 50 pieces of late Medieval and early Renaissance Netherlandish sculpture from the V&A. Primarily religious in content, the "small, but well-balanced" collection includes crucifixes, freestanding figures, altarpieces, and small-scale devotional sculptures in wood, metal, or ivory. It was originally formed to instruct woodcarvers and other craftsmen but now illustrates social history, devotional practice, and religious imagery and complements the study of Netherlandish painting. To complete the reader's understanding of the sculptures, Williamson discusses the meaning of the original spaces that they enhanced and explains the workings of the guilds to which their creators belonged. The thoroughly researched descriptive material includes date, place of origin when known, and regional stylistic characteristics. Well indexed and with an extensive bibliography, the catalog contains numerous references to additional readings and to similar sculptural works housed outside of the V&A. In terms of both content and illustrations, one expects quality from this publisher, and the expectations are met. A complement to J.W. Steyaert's more comprehensive Late Gothic Sculpture: The Burgundian Netherlands, this work is suitable for specialized collections or larger public libraries.-Nancy J. Mactague, Aurora Univ. Lib., IL