Early Netherlandish painting refers to the work of artists, sometimes known as the Flemish Primitives, active in the Low Countries during the 15th and early 16th centuries, primarily in the flourishing cities of Bruges, Ghent, and Tournai. This period was a pivotal moment in the history of art, marked by significant advancements in technique and the use of symbolism.

The artists of this movement are celebrated for their detailed realism and complex iconography. They were among the first to use oil paint, a medium that allowed for unprecedented precision and vividness in color, as well as subtle gradations of light and shadow. This technique enabled them to achieve remarkable effects in the texture of materials, from the gleam of armor and jewelry to the transparency of glass and the delicacy of fabrics.

Early Netherlandish painters often depicted religious themes, but they set these stories in contemporary settings, imbuing familiar biblical tales with a new sense of immediacy and realism. Their work is characterized by a keen observation of the natural world and a tendency to imbue even the smallest details with symbolic meaning.

This period of art laid the groundwork for the Northern Renaissance and profoundly influenced painting in the Low Countries and across Europe. The meticulous detail, high level of finish, and complex iconography of Early Netherlandish painting remained influential well into the 16th century and beyond.