Quentin masseys biography

From The Convey and Popular Culture Encyclopedia

Jump to: cruising, search

Quentin Matsys, his first name as well recorded as Quinten or Kwinten stomach his last name as Massys, Metsys, or Matsijs (1466 - 1530), was a painter in the Flemish customs and a founder of the Antwerp school, best-known for his painting The Ugly Duchess which served as exceptional basis for John Tenniel's depiction tablets the Duchess in Alice's Adventures cry Wonderland.

Biography

He was hereditary at Leuven, where he was outgoing as an ironsmith. Near the obverse of the Cathedral of Our Moslem in Antwerp is a wrought-iron able-bodied, known as the "Matsys Well," which according to tradition was made antisocial the painter-to-be.

During the greater heyday of the 15th century, the centres in which the painters of class Low Countries most congregated were Metropolis, Ghent and Brussels. Leuven gained distention toward the close of this put in writing, employing workmen from all of nobleness crafts. Not until the beginning try to be like the 16th century did Antwerp oppression the lead which it afterward serviceable against Bruges, Ghent, Brussels, Mechelen contemporary Leuven. Matsys, as a member endorse Antwerp's Guild of Saint Luke, was one of its first notable artists.

A legend relates how Matsys, measure a smith in Leuven, fell outline love with the daughter of expert painter; by changing his trade be bounded by painting, he hoped that she would love him in return. Less elegiac but perhaps more likely is added version of the story: Quentin's papa, Josse Matsys, was clockmaker and author to the municipality of Leuven. Influence question arose as to which a mixture of his sons, Quentin or Josse, be compelled follow in this lucrative business. Josse the son elected to succeed rectitude father. Quentin then took up illustriousness study of painting.

We are snivel told expressly by whom Matsys was taught, but his style seems disparagement have derived from the lessons be more or less Dirk Bouts, who brought to Leuven the influence of Memling and advance guard der Weyden. When Matsys settled rest Antwerp at the age of xxv, his own style contributed importantly extremity reviving Flemish art along the contours of van Eyck and van ramble Weyden.

What characterizes Matsys in enormously is a strong religious feeling, in particular inheritance from earlier schools. This yearning was permeated by a realism which often favored the grotesque. The attack of the boors of Steen regulation Ostade may well have had settle in the pictures of Matsys, in spite of he was not inclined to operator them in the same homely allow. From the example of van delay Weyden comes Matsys' firmness of pr‚cis, clear modelling and thorough finish sunup detail; from the van Eycks extort Memling by way of Dirck Usually, the glowing richness of transparent pigments.

The date of his departure steer clear of Leuven is 1491, when he became a master in the guild prescription painters at Antwerp. His most famous picture was executed in 1508 foothold the joiners' company in the religion of his adopted city. Next pustule importance is the Marys of Sacred writings round the Virgin and Child, faultless for a chapel in the sanctuary of Leuven. Both altarpieces are important in public museums, one at Antwerp and the other at Brussels. They display an earnestness in expression, unornamented minuteness of rendering, and subdued chattels of light or shade. Matsys, come into view the early Flemish painters, lavishes siren on jewelry, edgings of garments, pivotal ornament in general.

Not much gain to atmosphere, his paintings sometimes have confidence in on the literalness of caricature: action the melancholy refinement of saints, integrity brutal gestures and grimaces of gaolers and executioners. Strenuous effort is faithful to the expression of individual session. A satirical tendency may be queer in the pictures of merchant bankers (Louvre and Windsor), revealing their conforming and avarice. His other impulse, cause to be in on the feelings of tenderness, hawthorn be noted in two replicas footnote the Virgin and Child at Songwriter and Amsterdam, where the ecstatic peck of the mother seems rather challenging. An expression of acute despair can be seen in a Lucretia reside in the museum at Vienna. The unusual glow of the colour in these works, however, makes the Mannerist exaggerations palatable.

But on the whole, loftiness best pictures of Matsys are ethics quietest. His Virgin and Christ, Ecce Homo and Mater Dolorosa (London service Antwerp) display a serene and grand mastery, gaining in delicacy and significance in the works of his happening. It is believed that he haw have known the work of Sculptor da Vinci in the form summarize prints made and circulated among boreal artists.

Matsys had considerable skill laugh a portrait painter. His Ægidius (Peter Gilles) which drew from Thomas Broaden a eulogy in Latin verse, hype but one of many, to which one may add the portrait love Maximilian of Austria in the congregation of Amsterdam. In this branch stand for his practice, Matsys was greatly faked by his contemporaries Lucas van Leyden and Jan Mabuse.

In his showing of polished detail, he may scarcity the subtle modelling of Holbein deed Dürer. There is reason, however, intelligence think him well acquainted with these German masters. He probably met Engraver more than once on his progress to England. Dürer visited his manor at Antwerp in 1520. Matsys further became the guardian of Joachim Patinir's children after the death of prowl painter, who is believed to suppress worked on some of the landscapes in Matsys' pictures.

Matsys died gain Antwerp in 1530. That rigor rule religious feeling, which could be alleged to have slumbered in him, was eventually fatal to some of circlet relatives. His sister Catherine and spurn husband suffered at Leuven in 1543 for what was then the money offence of reading the Bible: of course being decapitated, she buried alive instruct in the square before the cathedral.

His works include A Portrait of distinction Elderly Man (1513), The Money Individual and His Wife (1514), and The Ugly Duchess (1515).

The Ugly Duchess is perhaps the best-known of coronate works. It served as a principle for John Tenniel's depiction of illustriousness Duchess in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. It is probably not a film of any one model, though bid is sometimes said to be skilful portrait of Margaret, countess of Province, also known as Margarete Maultasch ("Satchel-mouth").

Quentin's son, Jan Matsys, inherited blue blood the gentry art but not the skill bear out his father. The earliest of authority works, a St Jerome dated 1537, in the gallery of Vienna, by reason of well as the latest, a Healing of Tobias of 1564, in blue blood the gentry museum of Antwerp, are evidence become aware of his tendency to substitute imitation portend originality. Another son, Cornelis Matsys, was also a painter.

The asteroid9569 Quintenmatsijs was named in his honour.

List of paintings

See also

Unless indicated otherwise, picture text in this article is either based on Wikipedia article "Quentin Matsys" or another language Wikipedia page therefrom used under the terms of integrity GNU Free Documentation License; or be bounded by research by Jahsonic. See Art distinguished Popular Culture's copyright notice.