MEMLING, HiNs (c.1430-94).
An eminent painter of the early Flemish school, which may he said to have attained in his works the highest delicacy of artistic development. Ile was born at ABhnlingen, near Aschahlenburg, 'Bavaria, and appcars permanently established at Bruges in 1478, but was probably active there a few years earlier. Ile was a pupil of Bogies van der Weyden at Brussels, but his work bears little resemblance to that master,' whom lie surpasses. llis style is more akin to that of Jan van Eyck.
Meniling's works, of svhich a large number sur vive, may be best studied at Bruges. in the Hos pital of Saint John are the following: "The Epiphany" (1479), representing the adoration of the Magi, and the "Presentation in the Tem ple," the best example of the master's early manner: a triptych called the "Marriage of Saint Catharine:" the portrait of "Catharine Moreel" (1480) ; a diptych (1487) with the Madonna. and on the other wing the donor, van Nieuwenhoven, the best of Memling's portraits: and the "Shrine of Saint (1489), a reliquary in the shape of a Gothic chapel. Its fourteen scenes are the master's finest achieve ment. being remarkable for the freedom and grace with which he treated groups and figures of small proportions. A triptych (1484) with "Saint Christopher and the Infant Christ" in the centre, in the Museum at Bruges, also ranks high among his works. The Museum at Brussels
contains a fine "Crucifixion:" and that of Ant werp possesses "Christ as King of Heaven," a large triptych, purchased in 1S96 for 240,000 francs. Other authentic pictures of Memling are: A triptych, containing more titan two hun dred figures. the centre occupied by the Cruci fixion (1491). in the Cathedral at Liiheek: the "Seven Joys of the Virgin," in the Pinakothek, Munich: the "Seven Sorrows of the Virgin," in the Gallery of Turin: the "Madonnas," in the Uffizi. Florence, the Louvre, the Berlin and the National Gallery, London; a large altar piece with the "Last Judgment" (1467), in the Church of Saint Mary at Danzig. Examples of his portraits are in the galleries of Brussels, Ant werp. Frankfort. and Florence.
Consult: Miehiels, ilemliny, so vie et scs on vrages (Verviers, 1883) Wauters. Sept chides pour serrir ti l'histoire de flans .'hemline (Brus sels, 1894) ; Kaemmerer, Ifem/ing (Bielefeld, 1~99)s and Weak, flans Hemline ( London, 1901) ; also Pock, Irenili/ig-Studivn (Düsseldorf. 1900), and Gaederiz. Der Al(arschrein eon. H. Meuc1iitg inn Dom it Lubeck (Leipzig,, 1901).