Page 1
A short Account of the Lives of the Painters and other Artists Contained in this BOOK. AS ALSO Of the most Eminent ITALIANS and others, both Antient and Modern.
1. & 2. Hubert and Iohn Van Eyck
WEre both born at Maseyck in the Low Countries, upon the Meuse. Hubert about the year 1366. John not long after, They were the first Inventers of painting in Oyle, whereby the Colours not only receive a Gloss, but are preserved from fading. John, though he was Scholar to his Brother Hubert, yet by his In∣dustry excelled him in knowledge of the art, and in his inven∣tions: Witness that incomparable piece of his in St. John's Church at Ghent, in which are 330 figures, the Faces so well diversified that one cannot but admire at. The Horses haires, the leaves of the trees, and herbs are so delicately touched, that they seem even to wave with the Air. Phillip the 2d of Spaine gave 2000 Ducats for a Copy of it, not being able to procure the Original at any price: Hubert died in the year 1426. And was buried in the Cathedral at Ghent. John died at Bruges, and was buried there.
3. Hierom Boschius or Ierom Dubois.
Had a peculiar inclination and faney to paint Apparitions and Spirits: In a piece of his, representing Hell, is most ad∣mirably described the horrid shapes and deformed ugliness of the infernal Spirits, the strange punishments of the damned in Rivers, as it were, of fire, tempestuously rolling and mingled with thick darkness and smoke, so that his Painting causes ra∣ther a horror mixt with admiration, than any delight to be∣hold, several of his pieces were carried to the Escurial, and placed there by order of the K: of Spaine. He died about the year 1500.
4. Roger of Brussels, otherwise called Roger Vander Weyde,
Was the author of those memorable representations of Justice which are to be seen in the Town-Hall of Brussels: The 1st of which represents the Emperor Trajan in his expe∣dition against the Dacians at the head of his Army, doing Justice upon the complaint of a poor Woman, against a Soldi∣er that had murthered her son; The Woman appears prostrate at the Emperor's feet, demanding Justice, with a counte∣nance that expresses a grief sufficient to excite compassion in the most obdurate, in the Emperor is to be seen a Severe Majestick air, that makes his looks terrible, yet seeming moved at the importunity of the afflicted mother, causes the Soldier to be brought forth, in whose face appears the: marks of his guilt, and the tokens of death; The hangman with a fierce and savage look standing by ready to execute the sentence of death to be pronounced against him. In another, you behold an aged person, pale and languishing on a purple bed, yet as if wrath supplied force to his feeble limbs, He seems, as it were, to start up half naked, and with eyes, though half dead, yet sparkling with indignation, and gnashing his teeth, he catches by the hair of the head fast hold of a young man of goodly Aspect, and furiously strikes him to the heart with a Dagger. One would presently imagine the old man, of the two, to be the Criminal; But the truth of the story will make it appear otherwise: For, Archambraut Prince of Brabant understanding that his Nephew and Heir had ravished a young woman, he commanded his Judges to proceed to punish him according to the severity of the Law; but they slightly passed it over, be∣cause the Criminal was not only the next Heir, but upon the point of succeeding his dying Ʋncle. This neglect of theirs so provoked Archambraut, that having concealed his indigna∣tion for some time, and finding his end approaching, he sent for the young Prince to his bed side, and seeming, as if he had somthing to impart to him concerning his succession, he seized upon him as you have heard, and stabbed him to expiate his Crime with his blood: This famous Painter died in the year 1529.
5. Theodore Van Harlem
Flourished in the year 1462. As appears by a peice of his at Leyden, upon which is written in Golden letters in Latin to this effect. Theodore of Harlem made me at Louvain in the year 1462, God grant him everlasting rest. This is all that re∣mains of him, yet is enough to evidence that he was an excel∣lent Artist.
6. Bernard of Brussels
A good Painter of Chaces, Forests and the hunting of wild beasts; Of this sort are those pieces which he made for the Emperor Charles the 5th, representing the Forest of Soigne, and the curious Prospects that surround it, in which the said Emperor, and the most considerable Persons of his Court that attended him in this noble exercise are drawn to the life. His designs of this kind are so excellent, that they were adjudged proper to be imitated in the richest Tapistries that could be made for the Palaces of the Princes of the Austrian family. There are 16 small pieces of his representing several Princes and Princesses of the Illustrious House of Orange, which were thought worthy to be copied by John Jordans one of the best Painters of Antwerp. He lived about the year 1530.
7. Iohn Mabusius
Was born at Haynaut upon the Sambre, a person of a disso∣lute and vitious life, yet an excellent Artist. For his debauch∣eries the Magistrates of Middleburgh put him in prison, where he had leisure to invent several curious Designs which were much esteemed: Two of his Pieces being the Pictures of 2 young Princes, were brought into England, and placed in the Gallery at Whitehall. He was Contemporary with Lucas Van Leyden, and his Rival in the art. He died at Antwerp 1. Oct. 1532. And was buried in the Cathedral.
8. Ioachim Patinier.
Born at Dinant in Flanders, his principal Imployment was in Landskips; Albert Durer had that esteem for him as to draw his Picture to preserve the memory of so fine a Painter. Notwithstanding the beauty of his Works, he is much blamed for his disorderly life, being the greatest Drunkard, as he was the best Painter of his time, never out of a Tavern, until forced by necessity to work for a supply to his Debaucheries.
9. Quintin Mesius
Was brought up in the profession of a Smith at Antwerp, where falling in love with one of the Damosels of that Countrey,