Jan van Scorel

Jan van Scorel was a Dutch painter and one of the key figures who introduced Italian Renaissance styles to the Northern Netherlands. He travelled extensively, most importantly to Italy, where he worked briefly for the Dutch Pope Adrian VI. He was one of the earliest exponents of the Romanist style which was adopted by Northern painters, mainly Flemish, who studied and worked in Italy and were greatly influenced by its leading artists. His exposure to Venetian colour and Roman classicism shaped his innovative approach to composition and portraiture. From Venice, Van Scorel set off for the Holy Land passing through Rhodes where he established good contacts with the Hospitaller Knights of the Order of St John. After returning to the Low Countries, Van Scorel became a leading artist in Utrecht, influencing a new generation of painters with his blend of Northern detail and Italian Renaissance harmony.