Viri et Mulieris apud Florentinos Habitus, from Fashions of Different Nations

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.

Sebastiaen Vrancx was a Flemish painter and draughtsman who was born in 1573 in Antwerp, Belgium. He was trained by his father, the painter Jan Vrancx, and later studied under Adam van Noort and Peter Paul Rubens. Vrancx was best known for his landscapes, battle scenes and genre paintings. His landscapes were often inspired by the countryside around Antwerp, and he often included historical or mythological figures in his scenes. His battle scenes were highly detailed, depicting both soldiers and civilians caught up in the chaos of war. Vrancx was also known for his genre paintings depicting everyday life in Antwerp. These works often depicted farmers, merchants and other ordinary people going about their daily activities. He was particularly good at capturing the personalities of his subjects, and his paintings are full of lively, animated figures. Vrancx was a member of the Guild of St Luke in Antwerp and was highly respected by his contemporaries. He died in Antwerp in 1647.