From about 1425, artists in the region which is now Belgium and The Netherlands created paintings which were startling in their realism and innovative approach. Published to accompany an exhibition at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, this book celebrates one of the great epochs of western art, from the work of the inventor of oil painting, Jan van Eyck, to that of the highly original genius, Peter Bruegel. More than 100 colour reproductions, with individual commentaries, present the accomplishments of the major figures of the period, including Robert Campin, Rogier van der Weyden, Gerard David and Hans Memling. Essays by specialists in the field discuss various aspects of the subject, and biographies are provided for all the artists represented, together with comparative illustrations of prints and paintings from collections other than that of The Metropolitan.