The Enigma of Justus of Ghent

‘Giusto da Guanto’, aka Justus of Ghent, documented at Urbino in 1473-5 is arguably the most important Netherlandish painter to have worked in fifteenth-century Italy, yet he remains an art-historical enigma. This talk revisits the documentary evidence and early sources, and discusses modern historiographical and attributional debates around his identity, oeuvre and activity; while not purporting to resolve the ‘enigma’, unpicking these issues will open avenues for future enquiry. The talk also considers Justus as a Netherlandish painter working in Italy: his agency in the transmission of northern style, imagery and technique, notably to local artists Giovanni Santi, Donato Bramante and Melozzo da Forlì - and vice versa, his responses to art and ideas encountered at the court of Urbino.
Paula Nuttall is an independent scholar specialising in artistic exchange between the Burgundian Netherlands and Italy. She has published widely in this field, notably From Flanders to Florence: The Impact of Netherlandish Painting 1400-1500 (Yale, 2004) and has consulted on a number of related exhibitions, including Firenze e gli antichi Paesi Bassi (Florence, Palazzo Pitti, 2008), Memling: Rinascimento Fiammingo (Rome, Scuderie del Quirinale, 2014) and Van Eyck: an Optical Revolution (Ghent, MSK, 2020). Until retiring in 2023 she was Late Medieval and Early Renaissance Course Director at the V&A Academy (Victoria and Albert Museum, London) and an Associate Lecturer at The Courtauld.
Organised by Professor Susie Nash, The Courtauld, as a joint event between the Northern Renaissance Workshop seminar and the Italian Renaissance Seminar, and generously supported by Sam Fogg.