the top of the staircase, pass at once through Rooms J. and I., and go
straight into
ROOM C.
=Hall of the Ancient Masters=, Flemish or foreign.
=Right of the door=,
224. Justus of Ghent: a bland old pope, probably St. Gregory, holding a
monstrance, between two angels. In the background, a curious
altar-piece, with the Annunciation, Nativity, Adoration of the Magi,
Flight into Egypt, Presentation in the Temple, and Finding of Christ in
the Temple. Above it, two female saints (or figures of Our Lady?). A
good work, in an early dry manner.
Above it, 463. Madonna and Child, by Van Orley: the landscape by
Patinier. From a tomb in the Cathedral.
383. Van der Meire. Triptych from an altar; Centre, Way to Calvary, with
St. Veronica offering her napkin, and brutal, stolid Flemish soldiers
bearing the hammer, etc. In the background, the Flight into Egypt. The
_wings_ have been transposed. _L._, (should be R.), the Finding of
Christ in the Temple. _R._ (should be L.), the Presentation in the
Temple.
Above it, 380. Van den Broeck (1530-1601): a Last Judgment. Interesting
for comparison with previous examples. Renaissance nude.
557. Unknown. Dutch School of the early 16th century. The Tiburtine
Sibyl showing the Emperor Augustus the apparition of the Virgin and
Child on the Aventine. A page, his robe embroidered with his master’s
initial A., holds the Emperor’s crown. Very Dutch architecture. (The
Catalogue, I think erroneously, makes it the Madonna appearing to
Constantine.)
560. Good hard early Dutch portrait.
527. Unknown. Resurrection, the Saviour, bearing the white pennant, with
red cross, and sleeping Roman soldiers.
42. An Adam and Eve, attributed to Cranach the Elder. Harsh northern
nude.
341. Good portrait by Susterman, _alias_ Lambert Lombard.
Above these, Madonna, in the Byzantine style, with the usual Greek
inscriptions.
521. School of Albert Dürer: Mater Dolorosa, with the Seven Sorrows
around her.
549. Good Flemish portrait of William I., Prince of Orange.
Above, 387, Van der Meire: an Entombment, with the usual figures,
Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea; the Magdalen in the foreground with
the box of ointment; the Mater Dolorosa supported by St. John (in red);
and, behind, the two Maries. In the background, a _Pietà_—that is to
say, the same group mourning over the Dead Saviour.
425. Van Hemessen: The Calling of Matthew from the receipt of custom.
Harsh and uninteresting.
568. School of Quentin Matsys: Christ and St. Veronica. Probably part
only of a Way to Calvary. The spiked club is frequent.
241. Quentin Matsys: a fine and celebrated *Head of the Saviour
Blessing, with more expression than is usual in the Flemish type of this
subject. Notice even here, however, close adhesion to the original
typical features.
242. Quentin Matsys: Companion *Head of Our Lady, as Queen of Heaven.
Full of charm and simplicity.
Between these, 4, =*Antonello da Messina= (an Italian profoundly
influenced by the School of Van Eyck, and the first to introduce the
Flemish improvements in oil-painting into Italy). Crucifixion, with St.
John and Our Lady. This work should be carefully studied, as a
connecting link between the art of Flanders and Italy. It is painted
with the greatest precision and care, and bears marks everywhere of its
double origin—Flemish minuteness, Italian nobility.
254. Memling: **admirable cold-toned portrait of a member of the De Croy
family. The hands, face, and robe, are all exquisitely painted.
Centre of the wall, 412, good early copy of Jan van Eyck’s altar-piece
for Canon George van der Paelen, in the Academy at Bruges. If you have
not been there, see page 59 for particulars. Better preserved than the
original: perhaps a replica by the master himself.
519. Crucifixion, with Our Lady and St. John, on a gold background.
Interesting only as a specimen of the very wooden Dutch painting of the
14th century. Contrast it with the Van Eyck beneath it, if you wish to
see the strides which that great painter took in his art.
397. Good hard *portrait of Philippe le Bon of Burgundy, an
uninteresting, narrow-souled personage, wearing the collar of the Golden
Fleece, by Roger van der Weyden.
43. Cranach the Elder: Charity. A study of the nude, somewhat more
graceful than is the wont of this painter.
264. Mostaert (Jan, the Dutchman), tolerable hard portrait: same person
reappears in 262.
179. Gossaert: *a beautiful panel representing the Return from Calvary.
The Mater Dolorosa is supported by St. John. On the L., the Magdalen
with her pot of ointment; R., the other Maries. Very touching. Notice
the Flemish love for these scenes of the Passion and Entombment.
198. Hans Holbein the Younger: **admirable portrait of Erasmus. It
lives. Full of vivacity and scholarly keenness, with the quick face of a
bright intelligence, and the expressive hands of a thinker. The fur is
masterly.
180. Gossaert: group of figures somewhat strangely known as “The Just
Judges.” Probably a single surviving panel from an extensive work of the
same character as the Adoration of the Lamb at Ghent.
263. Jan Mostaert: *very fine portrait of a man in a large black hat and
yellow doublet. Pendant to 264.
558. Holy Family. Dutch School. Early 16th century.
202. Lucas van Leyden: *portraits. Characteristic, and well thrown out
against the background.
566. School of Quentin Matsys: a genre piece; an unpleasant
representation of a young girl attempting to cut the purse strings of an
old man. Probably a companion picture to one now in the possession of
the Countess of Pourtalés, Paris.
Above these, 168, Triptych by Fyol, German School. _Centre_, the
Adoration of the Magi. The Old King has removed his crown, as usual, and
presented his gift. He is evidently a portrait: he wears a collar of the
Golden Fleece, and is probably Philippe le Bon. Behind him, the
Middle-aged King, kneeling; then the Young King, a Moor, with his
offering. (The story of the Three Kings—Gaspar, Melchior,
Balthasar—was largely evolved in the Cologne district, where their
relics formed the main object of pious pilgrimage.) To the R., an
undignified Joseph, with his staff, and the peculiar robe with which you
are now, I hope, familiar. In the background, the family of the donor,
looking in through a window. The _wings_ have, I think, been misplaced.
L., The Circumcision; R., Nativity: notice the ox and ass, and the
costume of Joseph.
325. Schoreel: Crucifixion, with Our Lady, St. John, the Magdalen, and
angels catching the Holy Blood. (A frequent episode.)
Above it, 570, School of Gossaert: Our Lady.
262. Jan Mostaert: The Prophecies of Our Lady. Above, she is represented
as Queen of Heaven, in an oval glory of angels, recalling the Italian
mandorla. Below, those who have prophesied of her: in the centre,
Isaiah, with scroll, “Behold, a Virgin shall conceive,” etc.: R. and L.,
Micah and Zechariah. Further R. and L., two Sibyls. The one to the R. is
the same person as 264.
567. School of Quentin Matsys: Favourite subject of the Miser.
25. More monstrosities by Bosch.
=Beyond the door=,
534. Unknown: Flemish School: Assumption of Our Lady. Above, the Trinity
waiting to crown her.
123. Dunwege: German School. The Family of St. Anne, resembling in
subject the Quentin Matsys at Brussels. Centre, St. Anne enthroned.
Below her, Our Lady and the Divine Child. (Often Our Lady sits on St.
Anne’s lap.) L., Joachim offers St. Anne and Our Lady cherries. (See
_Legends of the Madonna_.) R., St. Joseph, with his staff and robe. On
either side, the Maries, with their children, here legibly named, and
their husbands. (From a church at Calcar.)
Above this, 523. Triptych: Madonna and Child, with donors and patron
saints (Sebastian and Mary Magdalen). Note their symbols. On either
side,
Van der Meire: 388: Mater Dolorosa; her breast pierced with a sword: and
on the other side of the triptych 389 (attribution doubtful, according
to Lafenestre), a donatrix with St. Catherine, holding the sword of her
martyrdom.
569. School of Gossaert, Way to Calvary, with the usual brutal soldiers.
47. Herri Met de Bles: Repose on the Flight into Egypt. Notice the
sleeping St. Joseph, and the staff, basket, and gourd, which mark this
subject.
539. Good unknown Flemish portrait.
Beyond this, a frame containing five excellent small pictures.
243. Quentin Matsys: *St. Mary Magdalen with her alabaster box. Sweet
and simple. In reality, portrait of an amiable round-faced Flemish young
lady, in the character of her patron saint. Her home forms the
background.
526 and 538. Fine unknown portraits.
199. *Exquisite and delicate miniature by Hans Holbein the Younger.
(Lafenestre doubts the attribution.)
132. Fouquet, the old French painter, 1415-1485. Hard old French picture
of a Madonna and Child, of the regal French type, with solid-looking red
and blue cherubs. Said to be a portrait of Agnes Sorel, mistress of
Charles VII. From the Cathedral of Melun.
Then, another case, containing six delicate works of the first
importance.
396. *Roger van der Weyden (more probably, School of Van Eyck):
Annunciation. The angel Gabriel, in an exquisitely painted bluish-white
robe, has just entered. Our Lady kneels at her prie-dieu with her book.
In the foreground, the Annunciation lily; behind, the bed-chamber. The
Dove descends upon her head. This is one of the loveliest works in the
collection.
253. Memling: **Exquisite portrait of a Premonstratensian Canon.
28. Dierick Bouts: The Madonna and Child. An excellent specimen of his
hard, careful manner.
203. Lucas of Leyden: David playing before Saul.
30. Bril, 1556-1626. Fine miniature specimen of later Flemish landscape,
with the Prodigal Son in the foreground.
559. Unknown but admirable portrait of a man.
223. Justus van Ghent: Nativity, with Adoration of the Shepherds. A good
picture, full of interesting episodes.
Beyond these, another case, containing fine small works. A beautiful
little *Madonna with the Fountain of Life (411) by Jan van Eyck, closely
resembling a large one by Meister Wilhelm, in the Museum at Cologne. Two
good unknown portraits. A splendid **portrait of a medallist (5) by
Antonello da Messina (sometimes attributed to Memling). A portrait (33)
of François II. of France as a child, by Clouet, of the old French
School. A characteristic *Albert Dürer (124), portrait of Frederick III.
of Saxony: and a good Gossaert (182). These do not need description, but
should be closely studied.
The place of honour on this wall is occupied by 393, a magnificent
=**Seven Sacraments=, usually attributed to =Roger van der Weyden=,
though believed by some to be a work of his master, Robert Campin of
Tournai. At any rate, it is a work full of Roger’s mystic spirit. In
form, it is a triptych, but the main subjects are continued through on
to the wings. The _central panel_ represents the Sacrament of the Mass,
typified in the foreground by a Crucifixion, taking place in the nave of
an unknown Gothic church. At the foot of the cross are the fainting
Madonna, supported by St. John (in red as usual) and a touching group of
the three Maries. The robe of one to the left overflows into the next
panel. In the background, the actual Mass is represented as being
celebrated at the High Altar. The architecture of the church (with its
triforium, clerestory, and apse, and its fine reredos and screen) is
well worth notice. So are the figures of Our Lady, St. Peter and St.
John, on the decorative work of the screen and reredos. I believe the
kneeling figure behind the officiating priest to be a portrait of the
donor. The _side panels_ represent the other sacraments, taking place in
the aisles and lateral chapels of the same church. L., Baptism,
Confirmation, Confession: in the Confirmation, the children go away
wearing the sacred bandage. R., Holy Orders, Matrimony, Extreme Unction.
Each of these groups should be carefully noted. The _colours_ of the
angels above are all symbolical:—white (innocence) for Baptism: yellow
(initiation) for Confirmation: red (love or sin) for confession and
absolution: green (hope) for the Eucharist: purple (self-sacrifice) for
Holy Orders: blue (fidelity) for Marriage: violet, almost black, (death)
for Extreme Unction. The picture is full of other episodes and mystical
touches. In all this beautiful and touching composition, the Mary to the
right of the Cross is perhaps the most lovely portion. For a fine
criticism, see Conway.
Beyond this, another frame with exquisite small works.
250. Quentin Matsys: Head of Christ, with the Crown of Thorns and Holy
Blood; painful.
540. Admirable unknown miniature portrait.
544. Excellent little St. Helena.
542. A little donor, with his patron, St. John.
204, 205, 206. Good Lucas of Leyden, of the Four Evangelists (John
missing). Luke, with the bull, painting; Matthew, with the angel, and
Mark, with the lion, writing.
537. Admirable unknown portrait. These little works again need no
description, but close study.
Above them, 244. Quentin Matsys (?). The Misers, one of the best known
of this favourite subject.
Then, another frame of miniatures.
517, 518. Unknown Flemish 14th century Madonna and Child, with donor and
wife.
541, 522. Tolerable portraits.
545. Fine portrait, of the Spanish period.
410. =**Van Eyck’s= celebrated unfinished =St. Barbara=, holding her
palm of martyrdom, and with her tower in the background. It should be
closely studied, both as an indication of the master’s method, and as a
contemporary drawing illustrating the modes of mediæval building. For a
careful criticism, see Conway.
Above these, Engelbrechtsen, 130. St. Hubert, attired as bishop, bearing
his crozier and hunting horn, and with the stag beside him, with the
crucifix between its horns.
127. The same. St. Leonard releasing prisoners.
Then, another case of good small pictures.
3. A Fra Angelico. Interesting in the midst of these Flemish pictures.
St. Romuald reproaching the Emperor Otho III. for the murder of
Crescentius.
32. Petrus Christus (?). A donor and his patron, St. Jerome.
64. A landscape by Patinir.
536. A Baptism of Christ, where note the conventional arrangement and
the angel with the robe.
561. Triptych. Madonna and Child. St. Christopher, and St. George. Harsh
and angular.
548. Mater Dolorosa, transpierced by the sword.
535. Good Flemish Madonna with angels.
207. Lucas of Leyden: Adoration of the Magi. You can now note for
yourself the ox, ass, Joseph, position, age, and complexion of Kings,
etc.
29. Attributed (doubtfully) to Dierick Bouts: St. Christopher wading,
with the Infant Christ. In the background, the hermit and lantern. (See
Mrs. Jameson.)
176. Giotto: A St. Paul with the sword. Characteristic of early
Florentine work.
257, 258, 259, 260. Simone Martini of Siena: Four panels. _Extreme
ends_, **Annunciation, closely resembling the figures in the Ufizzi at
Florence: Annunciations are often thus divided into two portions.
_Centre_, Crucifixion and Descent from the Cross. These exquisitely
finished little works are full of the tender and delicate spirit of the
early Sienese School. In the Crucifixion, notice particularly the
Magdalen, and St. Longinus piercing the side of Christ. Our Lady in the
Annunciation has the fretful down-drawn mouth inherited by early Italian
art from its Byzantine teachers.
177. Giotto: St. Nicolas of Myra with the three golden balls, protecting
a donor.
Above are three good portraits by Van Orley, and other works which need
no description.
On easels at the end, 255. =Attributed to Memling=: **Exquisite =Madonna
and Child= in a church. Our Lady, arrayed as Queen of Heaven, with a pot
of lilies before her, stands in the nave of a lovely early Gothic
cathedral, with a later Decorated apse, and admirable rood-screen. Every
detail of the tiles, the crown, the screen, and the robe, as well as Our
Lady’s hair and hands, should be closely looked into. This is one of the
loveliest pictures here. It is a very reduced copy from one by Jan van
Eyck at Berlin: the church is that of the Abbey of the Dunes near
Furnes. Its attribution to Memling has been disputed: Conway believes it
to be by a follower. In any case, it is lovely.
256. **Companion panel, of the donor, a Cistercian Abbot of the Dunes,
in a sumptuous room, half bed-chamber, half study, with a beautiful
fireplace and fire. He kneels at his prayers, having deposited his mitre
on a cushion beside him, and laid his crozier comfortably by the
fireplace. Creature comforts are not neglected on the side-board. Here
also every decorative detail should be closely examined. These are two
of the very finest works of the School of Memling. Probably the Abbot
admired Jan van Eyck’s Madonna, painted for a predecessor, and asked for
a copy, with himself in adoration on the other wing of the diptych.
At the back, on a revolving pivot,
530, 531. Christ blessing, and a Cistercian Canon in adoration. As
usual, the outer panels are less brilliant in colouring than the inner.
Notice the Alpha and Omega and the P. and F. (for Pater and Filius) on
the curtain behind the Saviour. These works are by an inferior hand.
The other easel has a fine (208, 209, 210) *Lucas van Leyden: Adoration
of the Magi, with fantastic elongated figures. Note the ruined temple.
The other features will now be familiar. Lucas’s treatment is peculiar.
_L._, St. George and the Dragon. The saint has broken his lance and
attacks the fearsome beast with his sword. In the background, the
Princess Cleodolind and landscape. _R._, The donor, in a rich furred
robe, and behind him, St. Margaret with her dragon. At the back, 181,
_wings_, by the same, with a peculiar Annunciation (the wings being
open, reversed in order). Between them has been unwisely inserted an
Ecce Homo by Gossaert.
Now, go straight through Rooms H, F, and E, to three rooms _en suite_,
the last of which is
ROOM A,
containing the Transitional Pictures. (It is usual to skip these insipid
works of the intermediate age, and to jump at once from the School of
Van Eyck to the School of Rubens—I think unwisely—for Rubens himself
can only properly be appreciated as _the product of an evolution_, by
the light of the two main influences which affected him—his Flemish
masters, and his Italian models, Veronese and Giulio Romano.) Begin at
the =far end=, near the lettered doorway, and note throughout the effort
to imitate Italian art; the endeavour at classical knowledge; and the
curious jumble of Flemish and Tuscan ideas. But the Flemish skill in
portraiture still continues.
698. Good portrait of Giles van Schoonbeke, by P. Pourbus.
Next to it, 103, Martin De Vos, the Elder: St. Anthony the Abbot,
accompanied by his pig and bell, and his usual tempters, burying the
body of St. Paul the Hermit, whose grave two lions are digging. To the
R., hideous Flemish devils, grotesquely horrible. Above, phases of the
Temptation of St. Anthony.
372. Michael Coxcie: Martyrdom of St. George—one of his tortures. Good
transitional work, inspired by Italian feeling.
72. M. De Vos: Triptych, painted for the altar of the Guild of
Crossbowmen in the Cathedral. _Centre_, Triumph of the risen Christ. In
the foreground, St. Peter (keys), and St. Paul (sword), with open pages
of their writings. L., St. George, patron of the Crossbowmen, with his
banner and armour; R., St. Agnes with her lamb. _Left panel_, Baptism of
Constantine by St. Sylvester. _Right panel_, Constantine ordering the
erection of the Church of St. George at Constantinople. In the sky, the
apparition of Our Lady to the Emperor. A gigantic work, recalling the
later Italian Renaissance, especially the Schools of Bronzino and Giulio
Romano.
374. Michael Coxcie: Martyrdom of St. George; the other wing of the same
triptych in honour of St. George as 372; central portion lost.
89. M. De Vos: St. Conrad of Ascoli, a Franciscan friar, in devout
contemplation of the founder of his Order, St. Francis, receiving the
Stigmata. Around it, small scenes from the life of St. Conrad,
unimportant. Below, Devotion at the tomb of St. Conrad: royal personages
praying, offerings of rich images, and the sick healed by his relics. A
curious picture of frank corpse-worship.
699. Good portrait by Pourbus.
576. Triptych, unknown. St. Eligius of Noyon (St. Éloy), one of the
apostles of Brabant, preaching to a congregation really composed of good
local portraits. (A pious way of having oneself painted.) R. and L., St.
Eligius feeding prisoners, and St. Eligius healing the sick.
741. Another of Bernard van Orley’s General Resurrections, the type of
which will now be familiar to you. In the centre, strangely introduced
group of portraits of the donors, engaged in burying a friend, whose
memory this triptych was doubtless intended to commemorate. On either
wing, the six works of Mercy (the seventh, burial, is in the main
picture).
77. Good transitional triptych, by M. De Vos, for the Guild of
Leather-dressers. _Centre_, The Incredulity of St. Thomas. On the
_wings_, Scenes from the life of the Baptist. L., Baptism of Christ;
where note the persistence of the little symbolical Jordan, with angels
almost inconspicuous. R., The Decollation of St. John. Salome receiving
his head in a charger. In the background, Herodias.
371. Coxcie the Younger: Martyrdom of St. Sebastian, patron saint of
Bowmen, from their altar in the Cathedral. An attempt to be very
Italian. The _wings_ of this triptych are by Francken. L., St. Sebastian
exhorting Marcus and Marcellinus to go to martyrdom. R., St. Sebastian
miraculously healing the dumb woman, with portrait spectators, in dress
of the period, deeply interested.
Now go on into
ROOM B,
(unlettered, the centre of the three). It contains works of an earlier
period.
The =left wall= is entirely occupied by three large panels of a fine old
Flemish 15th century picture, attributed to Memling (and apparently
accepted as his by Lafenestre), representing *Christ Enthroned, with orb
and cross, surrounded by choirs of angels; those in the central panel
singing; the others, playing various musical instruments. This is a
beautiful work, but less pleasing than those of the same school on a
smaller scale. It has been recently bought from the monastery of Najera
in Spain. It was intended, I think, to be seen at a height, probably on
an organ-loft, and loses by being placed so near the eye of the
spectator.
The opposite wall, R., is occupied by 245, =Quentin Matsys’s
masterpiece=, the triptych of =**the Entombment=, painted for the altar
of the Guild of Cabinet-makers. The colouring is much more pleasing than
in the Family of St. Anne at Brussels. _Central panel_, The Entombment.
Nicodemus supports the emaciated body of the dead Saviour, while Joseph
of Arimathea wipes the marks of the crown of thorns from his head. The
worn body itself, with a face of pathetic suffering, lies on the usual
white sheet in the foreground. At the foot, Mary Magdalen, with her pot
of ointment and long fair hair, strokes the body tenderly. In the centre
is the fainting Madonna, supported, as always, by St. John, in his red
robe. Behind are the three Maries. The usual attendant (a ruffianly
Fleming, in a queer turban-like cap) holds the crown of thorns. At the
back, preparations for the actual placing in the sepulchre. In the
background, Calvary.
The _wings_ have scenes from the lives of the two St. Johns. L., The
daughter of Herodias, a very mincing young lady, in a gorgeous dress,
brings the head of St. John the Baptist on a charger to her mother and a
fiercely-bearded Herod. The queen appears to be about to carve it.
Above, a gallery of minstrels. Admirable drapery and accessories. The R.
wing has the so-called Martyrdom of St. John the Evangelist, in the
cauldron of boiling oil, with a delightful boy spectator looking on in a
tree. The Emperor Domitian (older than history), on a white horse,
behind. Flemish varlets stir the fire lustily. This noble work
originally decorated the altar in the Chapel of the _Menuisiers_ of
Antwerp in the Cathedral.