Conrad von Soest

The Westphalian artist Conrad von Soest played a significant role in the development of North European art around 1400 and his elegant and luxurious altarpieces highlight a fascinating period of German social and economic history. He lived and worked in Dortmund, where he found his patronage among the well-educated and cosmopolitan merchant-princes of the Hanseatic cities whose 'Medici'-like life-style, affluence and influence permeated the cultural life of Northern Germany. In reflecting the chivalric tastes of his patrons, Conrad developed an oeuvre that established him as a major exponent of the International Courtly Style. His complete output is discussed, catalogued and reproduced in this book: the illustrations include striking details, infra-red photographs and comparative material. Dr.Corley analyses the subject, iconography, style and technique of the famous Niederwildungen and Dortmund altarpieces as well as the smaller scale panels, and she examines the artist's influence over later German masters of the School of Cologne. The book provides students of Northern European art with the first comprehensive monograph on this highly-skilled master, and should make a significant contribution to the reference literature on International Gothic.