Dieric Bouts was born in the Netherlands and moved to Leuven in the 15th century and became the city painter there. He maintained important intellectual contacts with the university. Today, Dieric Bouts serves as one of the greatest Flemish Primitives. In addition to large altarpiece upon commission, he also painted various, smaller devotional scenes and ensembles - frequently Madonnas with Child or diptychs depicting the Virgin Mary and the Man of Sorrows. These presentations enjoyed enormous success in the region and were copied long afterwards (until ca 1520) by his sons Dieric the Young and Albrecht Bouts and other followers. A number of his most important works, amongst which is The Last Supper - Bouts made upon commission by Leuven institutions.
Dieric Bouts introduced a number of devotional icon-compositions, of which the Man of Sorrows is a good example. These compositions were often copied, both in his own studio and later also by his son Albrecht Bouts and followers. Dendrochronological research of the wooden panel has revealed that the work dates from about 1470. This coincides with the final period in which Dieric Bouts was active and supports the attribution to his studio. Various specialists on the works of Bouts, such as Till-Holger Borchert (Musea Brugge) and Dr Valentine Henderickx, have inspected the work and confirmed that the panel is one of the oldest and most interesting amongst this type of works from the studio of Bouts.
Beginning in the spring of 2020, The Last Supper and the Martyrdom of St Erasmus, masterworks by Dieric Bouts, shall be able to be seen in optimal conditions after the renovation of the St Peter's Church. At the same time, the Man of Sorrows from the studio of Bouts will be available to discover in M Leuven. In 2023, M is planning a retrospective exhibition on Bouts, as the core of the city festival in Leuven.
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