And with Northern art in particular, it has occasionally bought lesser works to illustrate one or another point about the uses of drawing.

The numbering system starting on the north side of the museum covers mostly Northern European art, then British art.

He had a taste for Northern European art of the Renaissance, particularly Albrecht Dürer.

Nature is depicted with an attention to detail not seen before in Northern European art, and far supersedes what went before.

This diptych, however, contains one of the most memorable landscape backgrounds in Northern 15th-century art.

Between these two shows, there probably has never before been an opportunity in New York to see as much 19th-century Northern European art.

Rudolf's collections were the most impressive in the Europe of his day, and the greatest collection of Northern Mannerist art ever assembled.

"Death is always lurking in Northern art wherever anybody is having fun," says Ms. James.

Northern European art gradually forms part of the movement after Christianization as it assimilates post-classical styles.

Christ taking leave of his Mother is a subject in Christian art, most commonly found in Northern art of the 15th and 16th centuries.