The Book
Born in Selingenstadt, Memling (1430/1440-1494) left his native Germany to settle in Bruges in 1465, where the death of his supposed teacher, Rogier van der Weyden, left a near absence of competition.
Unlike one of his predecessors, Van Eyck, Memling, who was considered a minor artist for a long time, was not a painter of the court, but of the bourgeoisie. A man recognised and respected by the end of his life for his enormous talent, he amassed one of greatest fortunes in the city.
Forgotten during the 17th and the 18th centuries, Memling is nowadays regarded as one of the greatest painters of the United Provinces of the 15th century, thanks to the perfect balance between realism and idealisation that permeates his portraits. His compositions, most often diptychs and triptychs for altarpieces, show a talent comparable to that of Van Eyck. His taste for detail and precision in drawing, his mastery of technique, and his sense of composition produced such magnificent works as The Last Judgement (1466-1473), The Mystic Marriage of St Catherine (1479), and Seven Joys of the Virgin (1480).
Through its rich collection of reproductions of Memling’s major paintings, which highlight the fine faces and modest poses prescribed by the artistic canons of the time, this work examines the complex talent of this important artist.
The Author
Alfred Michiels was an art and literary critic as well as a journalist and art historian. He contributed to numerous journals such as Le Temps, La Réforme, Le Siècle, the National, the Revue indépendante, the Revue de Paris and the Revue britannique. He also published novels, short stories, dramas, travel books, and scholarly works of literature, such as the poetry of Philippe Desportes and the complete works of Regnard, as well as a theory of comedy and various theatrical arrangements. He specialised in German and Flemish painting, and wrote a History of Flemish Painting, which to this day is one of the most important book written on the subject.
This volume is an eloquent and superb presentation and analysis of the art of Hans Memling, in the historical and sociocultural context of the 15th century. His work on this master will charm the public with its wonderful narration and breathtaking analysis.
×
Thank you and welcome!
You successfully subscribed to Parkstone International Newsletter.
