Early 16th-century Netherlandish artists displayed a number of diverging styles that both assimilated Primitive masters of the previous century and looked to Italian art for inspiration.

Northern artists studied in Italy and returned to their homelands disseminating the Italian Renaissance and Mannerist styles. Although northern art acquired regional characteristics, it still retained some of the core characteristics of the mannerist style, such as the decorative artificiality. The proliferation of prints, travel, and courtly patronage contributed to a multi-faceted display of artistic invention, especially in the realms of printmaking and genre painting.