Description
Book SynopsisThis books analyses the complex panorama of the art markets between Flanders and Castile during the reign of Isabel I of Castile. The research is structured around three pillars: demand, supply and the market itself. Firstly, we analyse the economic, social, cultural and legal aspects that fostered an increase in the art trade during one of the brightest periods in Castilian economic history. The merchants are placed at the centre of the research, whose role was paramount in several fields: as intermediaries to the final customers of foreign artworks, as consumers of the works they themselves transported, or as real trend setters of the time. Their analysis has allowed us to reach significant conclusions and we propose further investigation of this subject. Finally, we feature in our research some aspects that are usually neglected in Art History studies, such as the importance of the Castilian fairs, the management of the retail shops or the transport and handling of the works of art that were brought from Flanders into Castile.
