[MR] Wikipedia: Death of Rogier van der Weyden

[Garth Groff and Sally Sanford]

Noble friends,

On this date in 1464 the Flemish master limner Rogier van der Weyden died.

Born in 1399 or 1400 in French-speaking Tournai (now part of Belgium) as
Rogelet de le Pasture. In 1435, he was already a well-established painter
when he moved his family to Brussels in the Burgundian Netherlands, and
changed his name to the Flemish Rogier van der Weyden (which means the same
thing). He is known to have worked in Robert Campin's studio, but soon
became much sought-after in his own right.  Van der Weyden is ranked with
Campin and Jan van Eyck as the three greatest painters of the early Flemish
School.

Van der Weyden specialized in religious genre paintings, often altar
pieces. He also was a skilled portrait painter, and was commissioned by
Duke of Burgundy Philip the Good and his son John the Fearless, becoming
the defacto court painter for the Duchy.

People in van der Weyden's portraits, while very lifelike, were actually
quite "tarted up" to flatter his subjects. He was not above adding strength
to a jawline, or moving a lady's ear back a bit to make his subjects look
more regal (he wasn't the only painter to do this; it was just good
business).

Sadly war has claimed many of Van der Weyden's works, as well as much
information about him. In 1695 during the Nine Year's War the French
attacked Brussels with artillery and much of the city was leveled in the
ensuing fire. Van der Weyden's archives were destroyed. Tournai was
likewise flatted during WWII, and records that contained information about
Van der Weyden's early life were also lost.

More about Van der Weyden is at
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rogier_van_der_Weyden .

One of his most striking portraits was painted for Anthony, Bastard of
Burgundy, illegitimate son of Philip the Good. It was this portrait which
turned me into a Burgundy geek:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony,_bastard_of_Burgundy#/media/File:Antoine_de_Bourgogne.jpg
.

Yours Aye,

Mungo Napier, Laird of Mallard Lodge  🦆
Continuing a crusade to keep the original Merry Rose relevant and in
business.