Broederlam, Melchior

Broederlam, Melchior (active 1381-1409). Netherlandish painter, court painter to Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, from 1387. Documents show that he was a busy and versatile artist, but his only surviving works are two wings from an altarpiece representing The Annunciation and Visitation and The Presentation and Flight into Egypt (Musee des Beaux-Arts, Dijon, 1394-99). They are among the first and finest examples of International Gothic, combining lavish decorative display with realistic touches that look forward to the later development of the Netherlandish School. The figure of St Joseph in The Flight into Egypt, for example, is represented as an authentic peasant.

The Presentation in the Temple
1393-99 (50 Kb); Musée des Beaux-Arts at Dijon

Altarpiece of Jacques de Baerze, detail of `The Flight into Egypt'
1395-99 (60 Kb); Panel painting; Musée des Beaux-Arts at Dijon

Altarpiece of Jacques de Baerze, detail of `The Divine Breath'
1395-99 (70 Kb); Panel painting; Musée des Beaux-Arts at Dijon

Photographs by Carol Gerten-Jackson.