Juan de Flandes
Encyclopedia
Juan de Flandes ('John of Flanders') was an Early Netherlandish painter who was active in Spain
from 1496 to 1519; his actual name is unknown, although an inscription Juan Astrat on the back of one work suggests a name such as "Jan van der Staat". Jan Sallaert, who became a master in Ghent
in 1480, has also been suggested.
(modern Belgium
), and evidently trained there, most likely in Ghent
, as his work shows similarities to that of Joos van Wassenhove
, Hugo van der Goes
and other Ghent artists. He is only documented after he became an artist at the court of Isabella I of Castile
in Spain, where he is first mentioned in the accounts in 1496, and described as "court painter" by 1498, continuing in her service until her death in 1504. He mostly painted accomplished portraits of the royal family, but also most of a large group of small (21.3 x 16.7 cm) panels for a polyptych
altarpiece for Isabella, now widely dispersed with the largest group of panels in the royal collection in Madrid
.
After Isabella's death in 1504 he turned to ecclesiastical work for Spanish churches, in Salamanca
in 1505-7, and thereafter based in Palencia
, where there is a large reredos
in the Cathedral and where his wife is described as a widow in December 1519. The overwhelming majority of his work held in collections outside Spain comes from this later period in which he concentrated on religious themes. Panels from a large altarpiece from a Palencian church are divided between the Prado and National Gallery of Art, Washington, who have four each.
His works show the Early Netherlandish style of Ghent adapted to Spanish taste and landscape, notably the requirements for groups of compartmented scenes for altarpiece
s. His colouring is refined, "with a preference for rather acid hues", and "while his feeling for space and light is sophisticated, a tendency to divide space into a succession of thin planes becomes a mannerism in his late works".
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
from 1496 to 1519; his actual name is unknown, although an inscription Juan Astrat on the back of one work suggests a name such as "Jan van der Staat". Jan Sallaert, who became a master in Ghent
Ghent
Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...
in 1480, has also been suggested.
Life and works
He was born around 1460 in FlandersFlanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
(modern Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
), and evidently trained there, most likely in Ghent
Ghent
Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...
, as his work shows similarities to that of Joos van Wassenhove
Joos van Wassenhove
Justus van Gent , Justus or Jodocus of Ghent, or Giusto da Guanto was an Early Netherlandish painter who later worked in Italy....
, Hugo van der Goes
Hugo van der Goes
Hugo van der Goes was a Flemish painter. He was, along with Jan van Eyck, Rogier van der Weyden, Hans Memling and Gerard David, one of the most important of the Early Netherlandish painters.-Biography:...
and other Ghent artists. He is only documented after he became an artist at the court of Isabella I of Castile
Isabella I of Castile
Isabella I was Queen of Castile and León. She and her husband Ferdinand II of Aragon brought stability to both kingdoms that became the basis for the unification of Spain. Later the two laid the foundations for the political unification of Spain under their grandson, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor...
in Spain, where he is first mentioned in the accounts in 1496, and described as "court painter" by 1498, continuing in her service until her death in 1504. He mostly painted accomplished portraits of the royal family, but also most of a large group of small (21.3 x 16.7 cm) panels for a polyptych
Polyptych
A polyptych generally refers to a painting which is divided into sections, or panels. The terminology that follows is in relevance to the number of panels integrated into a particular piece of work: "diptych" describes a two-part work of art; "triptych" describes a three-part work; "tetraptych"...
altarpiece for Isabella, now widely dispersed with the largest group of panels in the royal collection in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
.
After Isabella's death in 1504 he turned to ecclesiastical work for Spanish churches, in Salamanca
Salamanca
Salamanca is a city in western Spain, in the community of Castile and León. Because it is known for its beautiful buildings and urban environment, the Old City was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988. It is the most important university city in Spain and is known for its contributions to...
in 1505-7, and thereafter based in Palencia
Palencia
Palencia is a city south of Tierra de Campos, in north-northwest Spain, the capital of the province of Palencia in the autonomous community of Castile-Leon...
, where there is a large reredos
Reredos
thumb|300px|right|An altar and reredos from [[St. Josaphat's Roman Catholic Church|St. Josaphat Catholic Church]] in [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]]. This would be called a [[retable]] in many other languages and countries....
in the Cathedral and where his wife is described as a widow in December 1519. The overwhelming majority of his work held in collections outside Spain comes from this later period in which he concentrated on religious themes. Panels from a large altarpiece from a Palencian church are divided between the Prado and National Gallery of Art, Washington, who have four each.
His works show the Early Netherlandish style of Ghent adapted to Spanish taste and landscape, notably the requirements for groups of compartmented scenes for altarpiece
Altarpiece
An altarpiece is a picture or relief representing a religious subject and suspended in a frame behind the altar of a church. The altarpiece is often made up of two or more separate panels created using a technique known as panel painting. It is then called a diptych, triptych or polyptych for two,...
s. His colouring is refined, "with a preference for rather acid hues", and "while his feeling for space and light is sophisticated, a tendency to divide space into a succession of thin planes becomes a mannerism in his late works".
External links
- Centre for the Study of Fifteenth-Century Painting in the Southern Netherlands and the Principality of Liège List of works
- National Gallery of Art, Washington
- Juan de Flandes at ArtcyclopediaArtCyclopediaArtcyclopedia is an online database of museum-quality fine art founded by Canadian John Malyon. The Artcyclopedia only deals with art that can be viewed online, and indexes 2,300 art sites , with links to around 180,000 artworks by 8,500 renowned artists. The site has also started to compile a list...
- Juan de Flandes at the Web Gallery of ArtWeb Gallery of ArtThe Web Gallery of Art is a virtual art gallery website. It displays historic European visual art, mainly from the Baroque, Gothic and Renaissance periods....