‘Scultori Fiamminghi. Flemish Sculptors in Italy’

09.10.26-28.02.27

In the autumn of 2026, M will, for the first time, highlight the artistic exchange between Italy and the Low Countries in the 16th century. Featuring masterpieces from renowned international museums, the exhibition tells the fascinating story of mutual influence, virtuoso craftsmanship, and a drive for innovation. Sculptures, paintings, drawings and prints reveal how artists from the Low Countries, who worked in Italy, left their mark on the visual language of the Renaissance.

“The ‘Scultori Fiamminghi’ exhibition shows how movement, exchange and international networks drove art and culture forward – a story that resonates today more than ever.”– Bert Cornillie, Alderman for Culture and Chair of the board of directors of M Leuven

Pioneers in the Low Countries

In the early 16th century, pioneers such as Jan Gossaert, Pieter Coecke van Aelst and Cornelis Floris introduced the Italian Renaissance to Flanders. Gradually, Flemish sculptors left the Gothic style behind for good. In the exhibition, you will be introduced to Jacques Dubroecq, the Low Countries’ first true Renaissance sculptor. After his trip to Italy, this court artist of Mary of Hungary became the first to put into practice what he saw across the Alps. The work of transitional figures such as Jacques Jonghelinck also features prominently in the exhibition.

Fiamminghi across the Alps

The Renaissance made its way to Flanders, but many Flemish artists also made their way to Italy. Giambologna (Jean [de] Boulogne) crossed the Alps never to return. He developed an innovative and influential oeuvre from his studio in Florence. His workshop became a magnet for talent from the North, including Pietro Francavilla, Johann Gregor van der Schardt and Adriaen De Vries. Around 1575, Flemish artists with Italian-sounding names, such as Egidio Della Riviera, Nicolo Pippi and Coppe Fiammingo, were equally influential in Rome.

Due to their unique blend of technical expertise and artistic ingenuity, the influence of these scultori fiamminghi [Flemish sculptors] swept across Europe, from the Scandinavian countries to the Spanish court.

The exhibition concludes with works by the Brussels family of sculptors, Duquesnoy, and the Utrecht-born brothers Robert and Andries De Nole. Their work demonstrates how the Counter-Reformation gave new impetus to religious sculpture at the end of the 16th century.

Masterpieces

In the exhibition, 16th-century sculptures from M’s collection shine alongside other masterpieces from international museums, such as the Bargello and the Uffizi (Florence), the Louvre (Paris), the V&A (London), the Rijksmuseum (Amsterdam), the Kunsthistorisches Museum (Vienna), the Vatican collections, and works from various churches and private collections. Thanks in part to this impressive list of international lenders, this exhibition reinforces the museum’s position as a leading centre for medieval and Renaissance sculpture.

"The exhibition presents new insights into the artistic exchange between the Low Countries and Italy, based on recent research, and reaffirms M’s position as a leading centre of expertise in medieval and Renaissance sculpture." - Marjan Debaene, Director of Old Masters at M Leuven and exhibition curator

The exhibition also stems from the research carried out by ARDS, the Association for Research and Documentation on Medieval and Renaissance Sculpture. M Leuven is the driving force behind this international research network, with Marjan Debaene, curator and Director of Old Masters, acting as coordinator. The museum, which boasts an exceptional collection from this period, also houses the ARDS’s scientific library and documentation centre .

In 2023, Rome hosted a colloquium entitled 'Beyond the Alps. Artistic Exchanges between the Low Countries and Italy in Medieval and Renaissance Sculpture' .

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Visual material

Egidio della Riviera (attributed to), Three Sleeping Putti (detail) © Galleria Borghese, photo: Luciano Romano

Giambologna, Woman reclining and writing (Geometry and Astrology) © Victoria and Albert Museum, LondonJacques Jonghelinck, Sol © Rijksmuseum. Acquired with support from 'Stichting tot Bevordering van de Belangen'

Francesco Bordoni & Pierre de Franqueville, Captives from the pedestal of the equestrian statue of Henry IV on the Pont Neuf© GrandPalaisRmn (musée du Louvre) / Stéphane MaréchalleFrancesco Bordoni & Pierre de Franqueville, Captives from the pedestal of the equestrian statue of Henry IV on the Pont Neuf© GrandPalaisRmn (musée du Louvre) / Stéphane MaréchalleGiambologna, Julius Caesar, private collection Belgium © the lender

Giambologna, Julius Caesar, private collection Belgium © the lenderEgidio della Riviera (attributed to), Three Sleeping Putti (detail) © Galleria Borghese, photo: Luciano Romano

François Duquesnoy, Bacchanal of Putti with a Goat, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Purchased with the support of the Familie M. van Poecke/Rijksmuseum Fonds and the J.W. Edwin Vom Rath Fonds/Rijksmuseum Fonds

Jan Gossaert, Design for the funerary monument of Isabella of Austria, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Kupferstichkabinett / photo: Jörg P. Anders, Public Domain Mark 1.0

Giambologna, Ferdinand Ier de Médicis, photo : Cedric Verhelst pour meemoo. Art in Flanders © Fondation Jacquemart-André – Institut de France, Domaine de Chaalis, Fontaine-Chaalis (MJAC-Sc 487)Elias de Witte, Spiritello, BK-20222. Rijksmuseum. Transfer of management of the National Museum of Antiquities, LeidenRobert & Andries de Nole, Ignatius of Loyola, BK-BR-989 Rijksmuseum. On loan from the Royal Collections

Robert & Andries de Nole, Ignatius of Loyola, BK-BR-989 Rijksmuseum. On loan from the Royal CollectionsJohan Gregor van der Schardt, Johann Neudörffer the Younger, BK-C-1994-1. Rijksmuseum. On loan from the Royal Picture Gallery Mauritshuis

Johan Gregor van der Schardt, Johann Neudörffer the Younger, BK-C-1994-1. Rijksmuseum. On loan from the Royal Picture Gallery MauritshuisPieter Coecke van Aelst, Loggia de la demeure patricienne anversoise Den Grooten Sot, AV.0860, MAS | Museum aan de Stroom, Anvers, photo : Pat Verbruggen / Bart Huysmans & Michel WuytsPieter Coecke van Aelst, Loggia de la demeure patricienne anversoise Den Grooten Sot, AV.0860, MAS | Museum aan de Stroom, Anvers, photo : Pat Verbruggen / Bart Huysmans & Michel Wuyts

Texts

Giambologna, a Flemish master in Italy | M Leuven

This autumn, you can visit Scultori Fiamminghi. Flemish Sculptors in Italy at M, our first exhibition exploring the artistic exchange between Italy and the Low Countries in the 16th century. Meet one of the key figures: the Flemish artist Jean de Boulogne, also known as Giambologna.

M Leuven

Related activities

‘Scultori Fiamminghi’ opens on 08.10 and coincides with a presentation by M-resident Elise El Yousfi

Opening 'Scultori Fiamminghi' and presentation of M-resident Elise El Yousfi | M Leuven

On Thursday evening, 8 October, we will open a new exhibition at M: 'Scultori Fiamminghi'. Be among the first to discover the exhibition, hear a few words from the curator, and enjoy a drink.

M Leuven

Guided Tours

Discover 'Scultori Fiamminghi' with a guide | M Leuven

In the 16th century, sculptors from the Low Countries conquered the Italian Renaissance. The Italians called them the Fiamminghi – the Flemings. Discover their story at M Leuven.

M Leuven

A low-stimulus introductory guided tour of ‘Scultori Fiamminghi’ | M Leuven

Discover ‘Scultori Fiamminghi’ with a guide and nine other lovers of tranquillity.

Family guided tours for young travellers | M Leuven

Did you know that, hundreds of years ago, a group of Flemish sculptors travelled to Italy and turned the art world on its head? On this guided tour, you’ll discover how sculptors from that period went about their work.

A low-stimulus family tour of ‘Scultori Fiamminghi’ | M Leuven

Discover ‘Scultori Fiamminghi’ before M opens, accompanied by a guide and nine other lovers of tranquillity.

Introductory guided tour of ‘Scultori Fiamminghi’ | M Leuven

In the 16th century, many sculptors from the Low Countries travelled to Italy. Some returned after a few years, but others stayed and went on to become the leading sculptors of the Renaissance. The Italians called them the ‘Fiamminghi’ – the Flemings. The exhibition ‘Scultori Fiamminghi’ tells their story for the first time.

Food for Thought

Schone wreedheid (Beautiful Cruelty) | M Leuven

Mythological depictions from the 16th century are among the most fascinating images in art history. These masterfully crafted compositions include dynamic figures and dramatic gestures but, at the same time, often convey stories of power, abduction, murder and rape. During this ‘Food for Thought’ evening, lecturer Nadia Sels and postdoctoral researcher Alexander Vandewalle will analyse how we can interpret such images today (lecture in Dutch).

Waarom kunstenaars vertrekken (Why Artists Leave) | M Leuven

Sculptors from the Low Countries travelled to Italy in the 16th century, drawn to the presence of antiquity, the proximity of influential patrons and the opportunity to develop within an international artistic network. During this ‘Food for Thought’ evening, Dr Arjan de Koomen and Dr Filip Vermeylen will explain how this migration of artists profoundly shaped art history (lecture in Dutch).

Giambologna and Adriaen de Vries | M Leuven

Why do artists leave? How does a visual language evolve through travel and international contacts? And how do exchanges between different cities, patrons and cultures lead to innovation? Drawing on the lives and works of the 16th-century sculptors Giambologna and Adriaen de Vries, Dimitrios Zikos and Frist Scholten demonstrate how mobility, ambition and craftsmanship shaped art history (lecture in Dutch).

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