Mechelen, 1499 -1592 · The Italian Renaissance translated into Flanders

From the death of Abel to that of the Virgin, Coxcie unites Roman drawing, Flemish material and great Christian stories in compositions intended for altarpieces and devotion.

Born in Mechelen in 1499 and died in the same city in 1592, Michiel Coxcie occupied a pivotal place in 16th century Flemish painting. Probably trained with Bernard van Orley, he stayed in Haarlem before reaching Rome around 1530. There he studied Antiquity and Raphael, worked on a fresco now lost in the ancient Saint Peter's Basilica, decorated a chapel in Santa Maria dell'Anima and became a member of the Accademia di San Luca. Returning to the Netherlands around 1539, he adapted this Italian language to the requirements of altarpieces, portraits, stained glass windows and tapestries. His mastery of monumental drawing earned him a long career serving as sponsors ecclesiastics and princely officers. Coxcie, however, does not break with northern tradition: he dialogues with Jan Gossaert, Quentin Metsys and the old masters, of whom he copies or reinterprets certain compositions. The works gathered here cover several registers. The Death of Abel develops a dramatic nude after returning from Italy; the Descent from the Cross and Christ carrying the cross organize the Passion by powerful groups; The Death of the Virgin combines solemnity and intimacy. The panels devoted to the childhood of Mary and Christ finally show his ability to construct vast narrative cycles. The Death of the Virgin finally shows her ability to construct vast narrative cycles. The "Michiel Coxcie" selection notably compares Christ carrying the cross and Descent from the Cross. Its reading favors details.

Coxcie does not simply copy Rome: he translates Italian monumentality into the material precision and narrative tradition of the Netherlands.