Page:An Elementary History of Art.djvu/457

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In Bruges. 427 Rogier van der Weyden exercised an even greater influ- ence over his cotemporaries than the Van Eycks had done. In his school were formed both Hans Memling, the greatest Flemish painter of his time, and Martin Schongauer, the best German master of the fifteenth century. Before coming to Memling, we must notice a few men who followed in the footsteps of the Van Eycks, and helped to make the School of Bruges famous. Petrus Christus (fl. ab. 1444 — 1471), who is best studied in the galleries of Frankfort and Berlin ; Hugo van der Goes (died 1482), whose sole remaining work is the Nativity in S. Maria Nuova, in Florence ; and Justus van Ghent (fl. ab. 1470), who painted for many years in Italy. Hans Memling (1430 — 1495) was one of the most gifted and favourite masters of his day. In him the school of the Van Eycks reached its fullest development ; his works excelled in delicacy of execution, softness of out- line, and feeling for grace and beauty, those of any of his predecessors. He also effected considerable improvements in colouring, chiaroscuro and aerial perspective ; but was not so successful as Van der Weyden in the finishing of details. The National Gallery contains a Madonna and Child enthroned, from his hand. Of his numerous works scattered throughout Europe, the principal are the Last Judgment, painted about 1470, in the church of S. Mary at Dantzic; the Marriage of S. Catharine in the Hospital of S. John at Bruges, and the exquisite Beliquary of S. Ursula (in the same hospital, which contains several other fine works by his hand), a shrine in the Gothic style, on which the history of the martyred princess is represented