Cities of Belgium: Grant Allen's Historical GuidesAllen, Grant
History
Cities of Belgium: Grant Allen's Historical Guides
Allen, Grant
Belgium -- Guidebooks
557. *Portrait of Philippe le Beau, father of Charles V., companion to
his wife opposite. Observe the collar of the Golden Fleece, and the
united arms of Spain, Burgundy, etc., on his doublet. These portraits
were originally the wings of a triptych.
544. A Holy Family and St. Anne, with the donor, a Franciscan monk, by a
feeble imitator of Memling.
334. Tolerable portrait of a doctor, by Bernard Van Orley.
Next it, unnumbered, *Virgin and child. Gérard David. Our Lady feeds
Christ with a characteristic Flemish wooden spoon.
348. Patinier, a painter chiefly memorable for his landscapes (of which
this is a poor example). St. Jerome in the Desert, beating his breast
with a stone before a crucifix. Beside him, his cardinal’s hat and lion.
Not a good example of the master.
641. Holbein the Younger. Portrait of *Sir Thomas More.
Above, 575. Triptych, Flemish School, early 16th century. _Centre
panel_, Miracle of St. Anthony of Padua and the Mule. (The Saint,
carrying the Host, met a scoffer’s mule, which knelt till it passed.)
Above, St. Bonaventura, attired as bishop, praying. These must be the
chief objects of the donor’s devotion: they are also represented on the
outer wings. _Right_ and _left_, the donor (whose name was Tobias), with
his personal patron, St. Raphael the Archangel (accompanying the young
Tobias), and his wife, with St. Margaret and the Dragon. (For Tobias and
the Fish, see Book of Tobit.)
174, skied, is a Last Judgment by Floris, also transitional and useful
for comparison with others elsewhere. To R. and L., the Fall of the
Damned and the Just Ascending recall early examples at Bruges.
534. Triptych of the Flemish School (Hugo van der Goes?); _Centre
panel_, Assumption of Our Lady. Round the empty tomb are gathered the
apostles; conspicuous among them, St. Peter with a censer, and St.
James. Above, Our Lady taken up in a glory by Christ and the Holy Ghost,
represented as like Him. In the background, her Funeral, St. Peter, as
Pope, accompanying. Note the papal dress of St. Peter; St. James holds
the cross as Bishop of Jerusalem. _Left wing_, the chief donor,
accompanied by his guardian angel and two of the apostles, one of whom
holds St. Peter’s tiara, as if part of the main picture. In the
background, St. Thomas receiving the Holy Girdle from an Angel, a common
treatment in Flemish art, though Italians make him receive it from Our
Lady in person. (See my _Guide to Florence_.) _Right wing_, donor’s son
and wife, with guardian angel. This triptych closely resembles No. 535
(which see later), except that that picture is in one panel, instead of
three. I think 535 must have been painted first, and this taken from it,
but made into a triptych; which would account for the unusual flowing
over of the main subject into the wings.
419. Martin Schongauer (of Colmar, a German largely influenced by Roger
van der Weyden), *Ecce Homo, painted like a miniature.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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