In the south of Europe the most important patrons of art were the politically powerful families such as the Medici as well as the papacy. In the north, in contrast, patronage was provided by both the nobility and new class of wealthy merchants.
Artists such as Robert Campin, Jan van Eyck, Rogier van der Weyden, and Hieronymus Bosch, accordingly catered to the tastes of this new class. Many of these works were intended for private devotion rather than public display and were available in smaller portable sizes. Works of art in the north had become commodities.