Pieter Coecke van Aelst

Pieter Coecke van Aelst, born in Aalst in 1502, was far more than just a painter. He was a true Renaissance man: a sculptor, architect, author, and designer of everything from woodcuts and goldsmith's work to stained glass and tapestries. His journey began in the Duchy of Brabant, possibly studying under the leading Renaissance painter Bernard van Orley in Brussels. Though direct proof is scarce, their stylistic similarities are striking. Coecke's ambition to emulate Italian…