Borderless Creativity? A New Perspective on Netherlandish Artists in Early Modern Spanish Naples

Abstract

Seventeenth- and eighteenth-century artist biographers documented the mobility of early modern Netherlandish artists. Yet, research into the movements of Dutch and Flemish artists still fails to capture the full significance of this essential aspect of the artistic profession. This article presents a novel approach to artist mobility, by applying Michael Baxandall's interpretation of the artwork as “a solution to a problem” to a selection of artworks by Northern artists in late-sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Naples. By analyzing itinerant artists’ abilities to solve the challenges they faced as foreigners in the Spanish Viceroyalty, this study offers new insights into their creativity.

Keywords

• artist mobility
• methodology
• creativity
• baxandall
• early modern netherlandish art
• spanish naples