Early Netherlandish drawings

In the 1400s and 1500s, the Low Countries were a powerhouse of artistic innovation. This was a transformative period for Netherlandish drawings, as they evolved from preparatory studies to works of art in their own right.

Featuring around 120 works by artists including Rogier van der Weyden, Lucas van Leyden, Pieter Bruegel the Elder and Hendrick Goltzius, this exhibition charts the development of drawing in the Low Countries (present-day Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands) before 1600. The exceptional breadth and quality of the British Museum’s holdings provides a unique opportunity to present a comprehensive account of drawing from this region.

Early Netherlandish drawings are extremely rare, as they were made as functional objects in the workshop and were not typically retained. This was unlike Italy or the German-speaking lands, where the taste for collecting drawings in the 1500s ensured the survival of a higher number of works from this period. Drawings were central to the design and production of works of art in different media, including tapestries, paintings, stained glass and prints – and surviving examples shed light on the creativity and collaboration of Netherlandish artists.

Room 90

Free

Daily: 10.00–17.00