About the project

Dieric Bouts (ca. 1410-1475), who might be mentioned in the same breath as Jan Van Eyck or Rogier Van der Weyden, was one of the most important Flemish Masters. Of Dutch origins, he settles in Leuven, was married here in 1448 and lived here until his death. Two of his iconic masterpieces, 'The Last Supper’ and ‘The Martyrdom of Saint Erasmus’, were painted in Leuven, and the works can still be seen in their original setting to this day.

Over the centuries, Bouts’ other masterpieces were scattered, and can now be seen in the great museums of the world. Although it was not yet universally known at that time, the art-historical value of ‘The Last Supper’ is so great that the work has become an absolute must-see for international art lovers.

The religious scenes that Bouts depicted in a realistic and earthly setting literally remove the boundaries between heaven and earth. In this sense, Bouts is perhaps the most exemplary artist in the 15th-century tradition that sought to articulate new forms of what it means to be human. He explored the possibilities of realism and the representation of the real world so that viewers would more easily be able to identify with the message that his paintings conveyed.

Bouts was Leuven’s city painter at a time when the city was undergoing massive urban development. This is precisely why he is an essential artist for the development of Renaissance art in a humanist town like Leuven in that period.