The Triumph of Want, from The Cycle of the Vicissitudes of Human Affairs, plate 6

The roots of the Flemish school are usually placed in Dijon, the capital of the dukes of Burgundy where Philip the Bold (reigned 1363–1404) established a tradition of art patronage. Philip the Good (reigned 1419–67) moved the Burgundian capital to Brugge (Bruges). The largest county in the Southern Netherlands was Flanders and the term Flanders is often used to refer to the whole of the Southern Netherlands. Flanders produced many famous artists of Northern Europe. Arts flourished in the County of Flanders and neighboring Brabant, Hainaut, Picardy, Artois, and Tournaisis, from the early 15th century until the 17th century. In the 15th century and up to 1520 Flaundry was a part of Early Netherlandish art with the center in Antwerp. It gradually became distinct from the art of the rest of the Low Countries, especially the modern Netherlands by the end of the 16th century, when the north and the south Netherlands were politically separated. During the last quarter of the 16th century, political unrest between the northern and southern parts of the Netherlands brought a decline in Flemish art. Many Flemish artists left the Southern Netherlands for Rome, Germany, or the Dutch Republic. After Twelve Year Truce, Flemish art revived.

Maarten van Heemskerck was a Dutch painter and draughtsman, born in 1498 in the town of Heemskerk in North Holland. He is known for his religious and mythological paintings, as well as his architectural drawings and engravings. Van Heemskerck began his career as an apprentice to the painter Jacob Cornelisz van Oostsanen in Amsterdam. He later studied with Jan van Scorel, a painter influenced by Italian Renaissance art. Van Heemskerck was particularly interested in the work of Michelangelo and made several trips to Rome to study the artist's works. Van Heemskerck's paintings often featured complex compositions and dramatic lighting effects. He was also known for his skill in depicting architecture and produced many detailed drawings and engravings of buildings and ruins. One of Van Heemskerck's most famous works is his series of paintings depicting the life of Christ, which he created for the Sint-Janskerk in Haarlem. These paintings are remarkable for their vivid colours and dynamic compositions. Van Heemskerck died in Haarlem in 1574. His works can be found in museums and galleries around the world, including the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.