Empathetic constructions in early Netherlandish painting: Narrative and reception in the art of Hans Memling (Belgium)

For centuries scholars admired early Netherlandish paintings for their descriptive quality, but believed their stories did not inspire spiritual and intellectual meditation as well as those by Italian contemporaries. Art historians have long denied that early Netherlandish painters invested their compositions with sophisticated narrative content. This dissertation demonstrates that such traditional perceptions are inaccurate.; By using four paintings by Hans Memling as case studies, I analyze narrative structures and reception in early Netherlandish painting. These four objects are the Scenes from the Passion of Christ in the Galleria Sabauda in Turin, the Scenes from the Advent and Triumph of Christ in the Alte Pinakothek in Munich, the St. John Altarpiece and the Shrine of St. Ursula, both in Sint-Janshospital in Bruges. Each is an exceptionally beautiful painting with an involved, simultaneous storytelling system. A careful analysis of the narrative structures in these four artworks according to the constructions and solutions that are within the tradition of early Netherlandish painting confirms that Memling's compositions are especially rich and complex.; This dissertation shows that Memling structured his narratives for the purpose of encouraging an empathetic response. Each chapter begins with an examination of Memling's composition and a comparison to other artworks from the era. Following that, I consider analogs for reception in contemporary devotional literature and public religious ritual that reveal how Memling engaged his audiences on a subjective level. The artist's narratives elicited a personal, devotional event that fitted well within the historical context. Memling's works are some of the more intricate examples of what is still an under-acknowledged concern for storytelling and viewer response by early Netherlandish painters.