Anglo Belgian Society – Lecture by Dr Christina Anderson

30 January 2013

Dr Christina Anderson, current Drapers’ Company Junior Research Fellow will give the following lecture on Wednesday, 30 January 2013 at 5.30 pm

THE FLEMISH MERCHANT DIASPORA, 1450-1650

‘…those of our Netherlandish ‘nation’, above all others in the world, are inclined to travel and to visit foreign lands and peoples…’ (Karel van Mander, Het schilder-boeck, 1604)

 In the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, Flemish merchants were among the most successful Europeans to explore and trade with other parts of the world. Their significance, however, has been overshadowed by the fall of Antwerp in 1585 to the Spanish and the rise of the Dutch commercial empire in the seventeenth century. This talk will showcase some of the remarkable individuals who left the Netherlands, in particular Bruges and Antwerp, and stimulated commerce around the globe. It will also demonstrate the vital role of art in these merchants’ businesses and in their social standing.

For further details (venue and registration):