Hardback, 239 pages, ENG. edition; 305 x 220 x 20 mm; llustrations: 82 b/w, 223 col., 2 tables b/w., 1 tables col. . ISBN 9782503607207. This book rediscovers the Antwerp painter Jan Massys (c.1510-1573) and his artistic milieu. / The painter Jan Massys (c. 1510-1573) trained under his father Quinten, succeeding him after his death (1530) at the head of Antwerp's most famous workshop. However, his career, destined for certain success, was abruptly cut short in 1544. Condemned for joining the Loysts sect, he had to flee Antwerp, finding refuge perhaps initially in France and at one point in Italy. Only in 1555 was he able to return to his homeland, regaining his artistic leadership within a few years. His oeuvre consists exclusively of works for private use and is characterized, in particular, by the depiction of elegant and seductive nude or half-naked female figures, protagonists of biblical or mythological subjects. The identification of the patron of the 1561 Venus with the view of