his feet, whilst a silent crowd of Churchmen and others looks on in pious silence. The scene of this solemn ceremony is laid in a Gothic church dedicated to St. Peter, as appears from the statue of that saint standing in a niche above the altar. This portion of the sacred building is itself adorned with a large bronze reliquary, in which St. Hubert is enshrined, and is surmounted by a Crucifixion in chiaro-'scuro. The stone railing which surrounds the altar is sufficiently wide to allow spectators a view of the ceremony, and curious heads are visible at each interstice, looking with varied expressions at the burial. On the pinnacles of the columns which support the arches of the choir are statues of the Apostles. More than one quality seems to constitute the excellence of this picture, and place it amongst the best of the Flemish school of the Van Eycks. These qualities are to be found in the composition and perspective of the whole, the types and character of the heads, the intelligence of form, as well as the variety and truth which mark the painter, and cause him to rival, in some instances, John Van Eyck himself. Besides this, the artist has exhibited a degree of nature in the movements and grouping of his figures rarely to be found in other productions of the school of the Van Eycks.

We have often noticed the peculiarities that distinguish the pupils of Hubert Van Eyck from those of John. The picture before us is marked by a fresh and luminous colour, and an even and well-blended series of tints; not by the dark, compact, and reddish tone peculiar to the pupils of Hubert. The manner of using the pencil-the execution, in fact, is more remarkable for ease of handling than

for the dry, hard, and marked outline so common in the works of the artists just mentioned. Nor do we discover other features peculiar to these men, such as the imperfect mode of using oil-colours. On the contrary, here we find the execution improved, as regards the practical use of colour to the standard of John Van Eyck.

In truth, the painter can only be said to have followed Hubert's manner, if we suppose him afterwards to have gone over to John's, learning by the change all the improvements peculiar to the latter. This is possible; and were it otherwise, this picture would be the first example of its kind—that of a production from the hand of a pupil of Hubert; versed in the improvements of John. That Van der Goes and Cristus remained faithful to the manner of Hubert we know; but not so the painter of the picture before us, which not only has some of the features of John Van Eyck, but many of those peculiar to Van der Weyden.

Van der Weyden is to John Van Eyck what the pupils of the elder brother were to Hubert. We must invert the terms, however. Whilst Hubert's scholars exaggerated his style by making their painting reddish, and heavy in tone, and dark in shadow, Roger Van der Weyden exaggerated on the other side, being less powerful in colour and weaker in tint and tone than his master. In this particularity, the picture attributed to Justus more resembles Van der Weyden than John Van Eyck. In local tones it lacks the vigour and force of the latter master, being clearer, more vague and transparent in shadow, whilst in the general intonation of the whole there is more lightThese points are dwelt on for the sake of showing

ness.

that, whilst the practical difficulties of oil-painting as regards chemical materials and manipulation have been overcome by the artist, he has been unable to rival John Van Eyck in the application of the principles of colour, as well as other essential qualities in art. The treatment of accessory parts, the touch of the pencil exhibited in the mode of finishing beards and hair, inferior as they are to similar parts in John Van Eyck, make a nearer approach to Van der Weyden's manner than to that of Hubert's pupils. Indeed, the clearness and transparence of the painting lead to the belief that the first covering may have been à tempera, and the last in oil—a method practised not unfrequently, it is believed, by Roger Van der Weyden.

Notwithstanding these points of resemblance, however, between the attributes of the author of this picture and Roger Van der Weyden, especially as regards the practical parts of handling and colour, there are great features peculiar to the former, which remind us more of Van der Goes and Justus of Ghent-the latter especially being characterised by the good composition, truthful distribution of groups, variety, and nice proportion of forms, energy of design, and nature of attitude, which we discover in the picture of Sir Charles Eastlake.' For these qualities, doubtless, Dr. Waagen and Mr. Passavant were led to the same conclusions as ourselves; but we are inclined to dissent from the former in his opinion that there is a resemblance of style and execution between this picture and the Last Supper of St. Pierre at Louvain.

1 Wood, 3 ft. square.

In conclusion, it may be remarked, in reference to the life and labours of Justus, that if we have been unable to throw much light upon it, we have endeavoured, as far as lay in our power, to dispel some of the obscurity which overhung it. We can only trust that future researches may yet bring to light such details as will lead to a better knowledge of a painter whose claims to attention are evidently great.

The pictures painted by Justus of Ghent for the church of St. Jacques in that city-namely, the Crucifixion of St. Peter, and the Beheading of St. Paul-were still in perfect preservation in 1763, when Mensaert wrote his "Peintre amateur." They have since disappeared.

Justus is not, in our opinion, the author of the "Invention of the Cross," a picture in the collection of the late Mr. Huyvetter of Ghent; nor is he that of the panel assigned to him in the Antwerp Gallery.

CHAPTER VIII.

VAN DER WEYDEN.

LAMBERT LOMBARD, writing.to Vasari, in 1565, complains that the followers of Van Eyck and Van der Weyden neglected to ennoble and improve the old traditions of those masters.1 He might have added, that Van der Weyden himself, in his efforts to equal or rival them, fell far short of the Van Eycks. Deeply imbued with the forms of his faith, he relied on certain defined and conventional compositions for effect, rather than upon nobleness of sentiment and expression. In doing so he achieved success, and rose to great and well-deserved fame. Graceful and harmonious in his compositions, he formed the elegant and delicate style of Memling; and if we cannot award to him the palm of excellence over the Van Eycks, we grant him the glory of having founded a manner which exercised a greater influence throughout the Netherlands than any other of which we have record.

Roger of Bruges and Van der Weyden were long considered two persons; but later researches have produced a different conviction. Roger Van der Weyden was born at Brussels early in the fifteenth century, of Flemish parents,

1

Gaye (G.), Carteggio inedito d'artisti dei Secoli XIV. XV. e XVI. vol. iii. 8vo. Firenze, 1839, pp. 176-77.

2 Van Mander, p. 207.