Jan Mostaert, who was the official painter of the court of the regent Margaret of Austria in Mechlin, is a good example of the cautious assimilation of certain Renaissance innovations by traditionalist artists in the early 16th century in the former Low Countries.
His refined artistry, which places a subtle colour palette at the service of a dreamy poeticism and luxurious refinement, make him one of the principle exponents of this movement.
These innovations appear in a delicately elaborated landscape. By contrast, the stark full-frontal portrayal of this knight, whose crossed hands stand out against the richness of his clothes, is highly reactionary in its traditionalism compared to trends in Flanders at that time.
