chief, Jacob or =Jacques Van Artevelde=, attained =practical
independence=. Till 1322, the Counts and people of Flanders had been
united in their resistance to the claims of France; but with the
accession of Count Louis of Nevers, the aspect of affairs changed. Louis
was French by education, sympathies, and interests, and aristocratic by
nature; he sought to curtail the liberties of the Flemish towns, and to
make himself despotic. The wealthy and populous burgher republics
resisted, and in 1337 Van Artevelde was appointed =Captain of Ghent=.
Louis fled to France, and asked the aid of Philip of Valois. Thereupon,
Van Artevelde made himself the =ally of Edward III. of England=, then
beginning his war with France; but as the Flemings did not like entirely
to cast off their allegiance—a thing repugnant to mediæval
sentiment—Van Artevelde persuaded Edward to put forward his trumped-up
claim to the crown of France, and thus induced the towns to transfer
their fealty from Philip to his English rival. It was therefore in his
character as King of France that Edward came to Flanders. The alliance
thus formed between the great producer of raw wool, England, and the
great manufacturer of woollen goods, Ghent, proved of immense commercial
importance to both parties. But as Count Louis sided with Philip of
Valois, the breach between the democracy of Ghent and its nominal
sovereign now became impassable. Van Artevelde held supreme power in
Ghent and Flanders for nine years—the golden age of Flemish
commerce—and was treated on equal terms by Edward, who stopped at Ghent
as his guest for considerable periods. But he was opposed by a portion
of the citizens, and his suggestion that the Black Prince, son of Edward
III., should be elected Count of Flanders, proved so unpopular with his
enemies that he was assassinated by one of them, Gerard Denys. The town
and states immediately repudiated the murder; and the alliance which Van
Artevelde had brought about still continued. It had far-reaching
results; the woollen industry was introduced by Edward into the Eastern
Counties of England, and Ghent had risen meanwhile to be the =chief
manufacturing city of Europe=.
The quarrel between the democratic weavers and their exiled Counts was
still carried on by =Philip van Artevelde=, the son of Jacques, and
godson of Queen Philippa of England, herself a Hainaulter. Under his
rule, the town continued to increase in wealth and population. But the
general tendency of later mediæval Europe towards centralised despotisms
as against urban republics was too strong in the end for free Ghent. In
1381, Philip was appointed dictator by the democratic party, in the war
against the Count, son of his father’s old opponent, whom he repelled
with great slaughter in a battle near Bruges. He then made himself
Regent of Flanders. But Count Louis obtained the aid of Charles VI. of
France, and defeated and killed Philip Van Artevelde at the disastrous
battle of Roosebeke in 1382. That was practically the end of local
freedom in Flanders. Though the cities continued to revolt against their
sovereigns from time to time, they were obliged to submit for the most
part to their Count and to the Burgundian princes who inherited from him
by marriage.
The subsequent history of Ghent is that of the =capital of the
Burgundian Dukes=, and of the House of Austria. Here the German king,
Maximilian, afterwards Emperor, married Mary of Burgundy, the heiress of
the Netherlands; and here Charles V. was born in the palace of the
Counts. It was his principal residence, and he was essentially a
Fleming. Other historical reminiscences will be pointed out in the
course of our peregrinations.
The =old waterways=, partially artificial, between Ghent and the sea,
other than the circuitous route by the shallow Schelde, had silted up by
1827, when a ship canal was constructed to Terneuzen. This canal has
since been widened and deepened so as to admit vessels of 1,700 tons; it
has thus helped to some small degree to save the town from the fate of
Bruges. But as its mouth lies in what is now Dutch territory, and as
heavy tolls are levied, it is comparatively little used. Another and
somewhat frequented canal leads to Bruges; but Ghent owes most of its
existing prosperity to its =manufactures= (cotton, linen, engines,
leather) and to its central position on the =railway system=.
The important points for the tourist to bear in mind are these, however.
Ghent during the Middle Ages was =a merchant republic=, practically
independent, with its guilds and its belfry, the last of which was used
to summon the citizens to arms in case of danger. It was also =the chief
manufacturing town in Europe=, as Bruges was the chief commercial
centre. By treaty with Edward III., Bruges was made the “staple” or sole
port of entry for English wool: and this wool was woven into cloth for
the most part at Ghent.
Further details of the vicissitudes of Ghent can be found in Van Duyse,
_Gand, Monumental et Pittoresque_.
* * * * *
The chief objects of interest at Ghent are the Cathedral, with its great
=Van Eyck=; and the =Town Hall= and =Belfry=. These can be tolerably
seen in one day: but a stay of three or four days will not be too much
to explore the curious nooks of the early city.
_B._ THE CORE OF GHENT
[The =old town= of Ghent lies on the island formed by the
junction of the Lys and the Schelde, with their various
backwaters (all now largely artificial). Near this point, but
beyond the Lys, the Counts of Flanders early erected a strong
=castle=, the _Gravensteen_ or _Oudeburg_, beneath whose
protection, aided by the two navigable rivers, merchants and
weavers gradually settled. As at Bruges, the heart of the town,
however, is purely =municipal and mercantile= in its
architecture. The _Town Hall_, which was the meeting-place of
the citizens, and the _Belfry_, which summoned them to arms or
council, are the chief points of interest in the city. The
Schelde is still tidal to its very centre.
As most visitors will probably stop in one of the hotels on the
=Place d’Armes=, near the S. end of older Ghent, I shall frankly
take that square as our starting-point. It may facilitate
recognition at first sight to add that the large square tower,
visible to the R. from the Place d’Armes, is that of the
Cathedral, while the tapering spire, crowned by a gilt dragon,
belongs to the Belfry.]
Go first on a =tour of orientation= through early Ghent. If you follow
these directions implicitly, you can see everything important in one
short walk. Cross the Place d’Armes diagonally to the N.E. corner, and
follow the small and narrow streets which run due N. to the front of the
=Cathedral=. Walk round the S. side of this, to form a first general
impression, but do not enter it at present.
Then, from the West Front of the Cathedral, take the Rue St. Jean
straight before you. The tower with the gilded dragon which faces you as
you walk is that of the =Belfry=. It was designed in 1183, about a
century earlier than that of Bruges, but only erected between 1321 and
1339; it is a fine work in the Early Gothic style. Its windows have been
walled up. The tapering turret which crowns the tower is unfortunately
modern, and of iron. On the very summit stands a huge gilded =dragon=,
which universal tradition represents as having been brought from St.
Sophia at Constantinople to Bruges by the Crusader Baldwin of Flanders,
(1204), and removed as a trophy by the people of Ghent (under Philip van
Artevelde) in 1382. It certainly appears to be of Oriental origin, but
is stated on documentary evidence (discovered by M. Vuylsteke) to have
been made in Ghent itself in 1380. If so, it would seem at least to be
based on an Oriental model.
The small building at the foot of the Belfry, now in course of (over)
restoration, is the =Cloth Hall=, erected in 1424, a graceful but not
very important Gothic edifice (of the Decorated period), with niches
vacant of their statues. The _concierge_ of the Belfry now has a room in
it. Application must be made here to mount to the summit. (1 franc, or 2
for a party.) Dark and steep.
The =view= is extensive and beautiful, but not quite so striking as that
at Bruges. The principal buildings of the city lie just below you:
beyond, all Flanders. The =chimes= are celebrated. The chief bell is
known as Roelandt.
Now turn round into the _Botermarkt_ or _Marché au Beurre_ to the right,
and inspect the =Belfry= again from the little bay in the corner
opposite. This is the best near view of the tower. The portal to the R.
was formerly the entry to the =town prison=, beneath the Belfry, now in
course of complete restoration. In its gable is a too-famous 18th
century relief (the _Mammelokker_) representing the Roman daughter
feeding her father from her breast at the window of a prison, and
doubtless intended to excite the charity of passers-by. It certainly
serves no other function, for it is neither beautiful nor decorative.
Cross over to the R. side of the Butter-market. The building on the L.,
in two totally distinct portions, is the =Hôtel-de-Ville=. The part at
which you first arrive, (latest in point of time,) was rebuilt in the
early Renaissance style in 1595-1628. It is one of the earliest and in
many ways the best example of Renaissance architecture in Belgium, in
part because it retains certain good features of local domestic
building, such as the pointed gable-ends (round the corner to the L.)
and the projecting windows with dormers on the main _façade_. (Look out
for their origin elsewhere.) It has three storeys, with projecting half
colonnades, the columns being Doric on the ground floor, Ionic on the
first floor, and Corinthian on the second. Recollect the gable-ends and
dormers for comparison with others in old houses in Ghent hereafter.
Now, continue on to the corner, where we arrive at the earlier =Gothic
portion= of the Hôtel-de-Ville, erected in 1518-1535 by Dominic de
Waghemakere, who also built in part the cathedral at Antwerp. The
projecting polygonal corner, with its handsome balcony, is very
noticeable. The work is of the latest and most florid Gothic, somewhat
lacking in grace and dignity, but ornate in its splendour. Observe the
depressed arches, the noble cornice, the rich decoration of garlands. A
few of the niches have now been filled with modern statues of saints.
From the corner opposite, a good view is obtained of both parts of the
Hôtel-de-Ville and also of the Belfry.
Turn to the left into the Rue Haut-Port, to observe the =main front= of
this earlier Gothic building, with its fine projecting windows above,
its empty niches, its handsome entrance staircase and main portal, its
beautiful little balcony for addressing the people below, and the large
projecting window of its ancient chapel near the centre. Note how well
the _façade_ is thus broken up and diversified. This is the finest
specimen of florid Gothic in Belgium. Beyond it comes another
Renaissance portion, and then a handsome Renaissance dwelling-house. The
street also contains several fine early houses, the best of which (a
Gothic guildhall, known as the Cour St. Georges) stands at the corner to
the left, facing the Hôtel-de-Ville.
The =interior= of the Hôtel-de-Ville need not be visited, though it has
a handsome Gothic staircase (demolished, sold, built into a private
house, re-erected) and some fine halls and internal courts, interesting
to those who have plenty of time at their disposal.
Now, return to the Belfry and continue straight down the left-hand side
of the Rue de la Catalogne. The church on the right, round the base of
which houses have been allowed to cluster, is =St. Nicolas=—the oldest
in the town. This is one of the most solid pieces of architecture at
Ghent. It has a fine decorated tower, which has happily escaped
restoration, besides small turrets to the Transepts, and two, rather
larger, to the gable of the Nave. Go on into the _Koornmarkt_ or _Marché
aux Blés_, to the R.; stand there for a moment, at the end of the Rue de
la Catalogne, to observe the fine _coup d’œil_, which takes in St.
Nicolas, the Belfry, and the tower of the Cathedral. The main _façade_
of St. Nicolas faces the Koornmarkt. Over the door is a modern figure of
the Saint himself, raising the three boys who were salted down for meat.
Nicolas was the popular saint, the patron of the merchants and
burgesses; and the prominent position of his church on the Corn Market
is very characteristic of the burgher spirit of Ghent.
A hasty glance will suffice for the =interior=, which is a
characteristic specimen of the unrestored Belgian church, with figures
of the Twelve Apostles (as always) against the pillars of the Nave; an
ugly carved pulpit; short Transepts; an Apse with bad glass; and the
vaulting of Nave, Aisles, and Choir concealed by plaster. The tawdry
decorations render what might be a fine interior wholly unimpressive.
The High Altar has an altar-piece by Liemakere, representing, in the
confused style of the School of Rubens, the election of St. Nicholas as
Bishop of Myra. Above is an 18th century figure of the Saint, raising
the three boys from the tub. The early pillars of the Choir are really
handsome.
On emerging from the front of the church, continue straight on to the
bridge which crosses the Lys, affording a good view to the L. of the
Apse of =St. Michel=. Then, go along the side of this handsome church,
with late Gothic windows resembling English Perpendicular. It has a
solid but unfinished tower, and a good West Portal, robbed of its
sculpture and cruelly mutilated. A glimpse at the =interior=, which has
been scraped and renovated, will show at once the fine architecture. The
Nave has impressive round pillars, windows in the clerestory, and
excellent brick vaulting. The vaulted Aisles are surrounded by chapels.
The Choir is very handsome. In the N. Transept is a famous but overrated
*Crucifixion by Van Dyck, not without beauty of conception and
composition, but spoiled by restorations. Walk round the Transepts and
Ambulatory. There are some good works of the School of Rubens.
Now, continue along the =quay=, on the same side as St. Michel,
(observing as you go that the early town extended to _both_ banks of the
river), in order to view the _façade_ of the handsome =Maison des
Bateliers=, or Guild House of the Skippers, erected in 1531 for the
masters of the shipping of Ghent, in somewhat the same florid
late-Gothic style as the Hôtel-de-Ville. This is the finest existing
specimen of old Flemish houses. Over the doorway is an appropriate
relief of a ship, somewhat antiquated and heraldic in character. By the
side of this Guild-house are two others, less interesting: the first,
the Guild House of the Grain Measurers; the next, very old and
dilapidated, the Staple House of Corn, Romanesque, said to be the
earliest civil building in Belgium. Several fine gable-ends are seen to
the L., including one with Renaissance architecture, on this side of the
Lys. At the moment of writing, the houses next to the Skippers’ Guild
are in course of demolition, exposing a bare side of the old Hall most
unpicturesquely.
Now, retrace your steps over the Bridge, and through the Corn Market,
almost wholly modernized, with the exception of a few gabled houses.
The next little square at which we arrive is the =Marché aux Herbes=.
Its W. side is occupied by the ancient but uninteresting Grande
Boucherie. Turn to the L. by the corner of the Boucherie, with Our Lady
and Child in a niche, and cross the bridge to the other side of the Lys.
On the left are two handsome old houses. In front rise the gateway and
bastions of the OUDEBURG, or Castle of the Princes. This was the
primitive palace of the Counts of Flanders in Ghent. The irregular
little square in front of it is known as the =Place Ste. Pharailde=. The
=castle= has recently been cleared from the numerous modern houses which
encumbered and hid it. The first stronghold on this site was erected in
868. The existing ruins of the =gateway=, with round Romanesque arches,
date back to 1180; the square =keep= behind is of the 10th century. In
this palace Jacob van Artevelde entertained Edward III. When Edward
returned to England, he left Queen Philippa here, and during his absence
she bore (in the Monastery of St. Bavon) her third son, John of Gaunt,
who took his well-known surname from the place of his birth. It was on
Edward’s return to Flanders, accompanied by the ladies of Philippa’s
suite, that he found the French fleet drawn up near Sluys to prevent his
entry into the port of Bruges, on which occasion he gained the first
great English naval victory. The Castle, which is now in course of
partial restoration, is closely bound up with the greatness of Van
Artevelde and the heroic period in the history of Ghent.
Walk round it to note its extent and its commanding position at the
point where the bridge crosses the Lys to the main part of the town.
The opposite corner of the Place Ste. Pharailde has a _Renaissance
gateway_, re-erected in imitation of the original by Arthus Quellin, and
adorned with sculptures of Neptune, the Schelde, and the Lys, the
sources of Ghent’s greatness. It leads to the Fish-market. Around are
several good old houses.
Continue along the quay on the same side of the river as the Oudeburg,
as far as the Pont du Laitage, just before reaching which you pass on
your left two 17th century houses with reliefs, (the Works of Charity, a
Flying Hart, etc.). Cross the bridge and turn to the R. as far as the
=big cannon=, known as _Dulle Griete_ or Mad Margaret, dating back to
the 14th century. By the touch-hole are the Cross of St. Andrew and the
Arms of Phillipe le Bon of Burgundy.
Turn into the large square in front of you. The building which faces you
at the end of the street as you advance (with a tower at the corner and
high gables) is one of the best old mediæval houses in Ghent, the
Collacie-Zolder, or Municipal Council-Room, of the 13th or 14th century.
It has an interesting little pulpit or balcony at its corner, with a
bell, from which addresses could be made to the people. The towers that
face you a little to the L. are those of St. Jacques, to be visited
presently.
Continue into the square, at the corner of which is the Municipal
Council-Room. This is the _Vrydagmarkt_ or =Marché du Vendredi=, in
which a strikingly picturesque market is still held every Friday
morning. If possible, visit it. The square was the forum of old Ghent
and the meeting-place of the citizens. A few fine old buildings in the
native local style still surround it. The centre is appropriately
occupied by a modern colossal statue of Jacob van Artevelde, addressing
the citizens in his famous speech when he excited them to opposition to
the Count of Flanders with his Gallicising policy. At the base are
allegorical figures of Flanders, and of the Belgian towns, wearing mural
crowns. The reliefs represent Van Artevelde’s three chief diplomatic
triumphs,—the League of Ghent with Bruges and Ypres; the League of
Flanders and England; the League of Flanders, Brabant, and Hainault. In
this square the most important events in the history of early Flanders
took place. Here the citizens of Ghent took the oath of allegiance to
each new Count on his accession, after they had compelled him to swear
in good old Teutonic style “to uphold and see upheld all the standing
wits (laws), fore-rights (regulations), freehoods, and wonts of the
Countship and town of Ghent.” The guilds which had their halls around
met here to oppose arbitrary action on the part of their sovereign.
Here, too, the parties within the town itself frequently joined issue in
civil contest. In later times, the Duke of Alva perpetrated most of his
shameful executions on this spot. The site of the statue of Van
Artevelde was originally occupied by one of Charles V., who was born in
Ghent, in a palace now destroyed, and whose history (see later) is
intimately connected with this town, always one of his principal
residences. The statue was destroyed in 1794 by the French invaders:
(picture in the Museum).
Turn up at the corner by the Municipal Council-Room and take the first
street to the L., which leads you into the Place St. Jacques, occupied
by the Church of =St. Jacques=. The _façade_, with the two towers, was
Romanesque, but has been restored in such a wholesale way as to destroy
its interest. The remainder of the church is Gothic. Walk round it so as
to observe its features, noticing in particular the quaint stone spire
of the right-hand tower. The =interior= might be good, were it not
spoiled by tawdry decorations. The pulpit has a marble figure of the
patron, St. James, with the pilgrim’s staff and gourd, emblematic of his
connection with the great place of pilgrimage of Santiago de
Compostella. The vaulting has been freed from excrescences, and is
excellent of its kind. The High Altar has a figure of St. James above,
and a painting of his martyrdom beneath.
This walk will have led you through the principal part of early Ghent.
Hence you may return either by the Cathedral, or by the chief line of
business streets which runs direct from the Pont du Laitage to the
modern Palais de Justice and the Place d’Armes.
_C._ THE CATHEDRAL
[The local =patron saint= of Ghent is =St. Bavon=, a somewhat
dubious personage, belonging to the first age of Christianity in
Flanders, of whom little is known. Legend describes him as a
“Duke of Brabant” in the 7th century (of course an anachronism).
He seems to have been a nobleman of Hesbaie who spent his life
as a soldier “and in worldly pleasures”; but when he was 50, his
wife died, and, overwhelmed with grief, he gave up all his
possessions to be distributed among the poor, and entered a cell
or monastery in Ghent, of which St. Amand (see later) was the
founder. Of this he became abbot. At last, finding the monastic
life not sufficiently austere, the new saint took refuge in a
hollow tree in a forest, and there spent the remainder of his
days. His emblem is a falcon. The =monastery of St. Bavon= long
existed at Ghent; some of its ruins still remain, and will be
described hereafter. To this local saint, accordingly, it might
seem fitting that the Cathedral of Ghent should be dedicated.
But in reality the building was at first a parish church under
the invocation of =St. John the Baptist=, and only received the
relics and name of St. Bavon after 1540, when Charles V.
destroyed the monastery, as will be described hereafter.
The real interest of the Cathedral centres, however, not in St.
Bavon, nor in his picture by Rubens, but in the great polyptych
of =the Adoration of the Lamb=, the masterpiece of =Jan van
Eyck= and his brother =Hubert=, which forms in a certain sense
the point of departure for the native art of the Netherlands.
This is therefore a convenient place in which to consider the
position of these two great painters. They were born at Maaseyck
or Eyck-sur-Meuse near Maastricht; Hubert, the elder, about 1360
or 1370; Jan, the younger, about 1390. The only undoubted work
of Hubert is the altar-piece in St. Bavon, and even this is only
his in part, having been completed after his death by his
brother Jan. =Hubert= probably derived his teaching from the
School of the Lower Rhine, which first in the North attained any
importance, and which had its chief exponents at Maastricht and
Cologne. Of this School, he was the final flower. Though not, as
commonly said, the inventor of =oil-painting=, he was the first
artist who employed the process in its developed form, and he
also made immense advances in naturalness of drawing and truth
of spirit. =Jan= was probably a pupil of Hubert; he lived at
Ghent while the great picture of the Adoration of the Lamb was
still being completed; later, he was painter by appointment to
the court of the Dukes of Burgundy, and had a house at Bruges,
where he died in 1440. He was also employed on various missions
abroad, accompanying embassies as far as to Portugal. His
painting, though less ideal and beautiful than that of his great
successor Memling, is marvellous in its truth: it has an
extraordinary charm of purity of colour, vividness of
delineation, and fine portrayal of character. Indeed, all the
early Flemish artists were essentially =portrait painters=; they
copied with fidelity whatever was set before them, whether it
were fabrics, furniture, jewellery, flowers, or the literal
faces and figures of men and women.