hands in most of the capitals of Europe. Mr. Catteaux, Member of the Institute of France, has one of the fine pictures of the master, representing the Madonna and Child. The Infant Saviour offers the ring to St. Catherine, who sits before him, supported by St. Agnes with the Lamb, St. Cecilia, St. Barbara, St. Margaret with the Dragon, and St. Lucy with two eyes on a plate. The distance is one of Memling's pleasant landscapes. Three Cherubs float in the air above the group. The whole is executed with that truthfulness and precision which characterise Memling's works. The subject, also, is of those dimensions which were best adapted to conceal the defects of the painter's style.'

The Louvre contains two small and very beautiful subjects-St. John the Baptist and Mary Magdalen. Episodes from the lives of each encumber the distance. They are exactly of the same dimension as two panels in the palace of the King of Holland, which represent St. Stephen and St. Christopher. The thin wood suggests the idea that these four pictures were once wings of a tryptic, and have been divided by the saw. In addition to this, the Gallery of the King of Holland comprised, till lately, a portrait of a Lady-the head covered with a linen cap, the body clothed in black, and surrounded by a yellow waistband ; the "Repose in Egypt;" the Virgin

2

1 We have to thank M. de Reiset for calling attention to this picture. The size is 0.26 met. by 0·15. Mr. Catteaux lives in Paris.

2 Nos. 288, 289, Louv. Cat. Wood, 0.48 by 0.12. The first of these panels formed part of Lucien Bonaparte's Gallery, and was engraved as Van Eyck. It subsequently belonged to William the Second of Holland, having been purchased, with its companion, by Baron de Fagel for 11,728 fr. in 1815.

3 Wood, 18 in. by 144. Purchased at the sale of the Orange ollection for 450 florins. Signed "OBYT. ANo. Dм., 1479."

holding the Infant Christ, whilst St. Joseph picks hazelnuts in the distance.'

Amongst the fine productions of Memling may be cited the two wings of an altar-piece formerly in possession of Miss Rogers, and afterwards in the Collection of the late Mr. Samuel Rogers. An old woman kneels on the one side in a noble attitude, supported by a young female saint. A man with a prayer-book kneels opposite, and is supported by his patron saint in armour. We do not find in these compositions the meagreness of outline and coldness of colour which marked the first productions of the master after he left Van der Weyden. He seems in them, on the contrary, to have been emancipated, in a great measure, from the influence of his old master, and to approach, in severity of character and vigour of expression, as well as in powerful and vivid colour, the great efforts of John Van Eyck. The attitude of the old patroness is natural, and the head full of expression, animation, and life; whilst the female saint combines all the sweetness which the master was able to bestow. The portrait of the man is equally pleasing; but the armed saint less so, because it is in that style which Memling obtained from Van der Weyden, and from which he never entirely freed himself. The landscapes in both these panels are wonderfully minute and sunny. These pictures are amongst the pleasing ones of the Flemish school.3

1 Wood, 17 in. by 10 in.; supposed to have been purchased for the Rothschild family; price 2,600 florins.

2 32 in. by 12 in.; wood. These two wings are similar to those of an altar-piece in the Academy of the Fine Arts at Venice, No. 41, p. 24, assigned to Cornelius Engelbrechtzen.

3 The sky, as well as parts of the figures, have somewhat suffered from restoration.

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A portrait in the Hampton Court Gallery, long catalogued as being of an unknown author, strikes us as a careful effort of Memling in the earlier and cold manner which he took from Van der Weyden. It represents a young man of rather spare features, with his hair divided in the middle. In the Gallery of Francfort, not catalogued, is a portrait which we suppose to have come from the Ader's Collection. It represents a young man, onethird of the life size, having all the characteristics of Memling's manner. The head is covered with the long cap of the period, and the hands are joined together before the figure, of which only half is visible.

Another portrait, of smaller size, in Prince Wallerstein's Gallery at Kensington, is a vivid and truthful one, not, however, in the delicate manner so often noticed in other pictures. The character of the hands is coarse, which is also strange for Memling. The portrait has suffered a little from cleaning; and the face is less coloured, in consequence, than the landscape and vest

ments.2

Amongst other pictures which have marked features of the manner of Memling, is a Virgin and Child, also in the Wallerstein Collection at Kensington. This picture is attributed to Van Eyck, whose style it does not in the least recal to mind. The painting is much damaged, especially in the figure of the Saviour, which has lost much of its freshness, and is in part retouched; but the

1 No. 299, Hampton Court Cat. Wood. Under the name of Sir A. More.

2 No. 59, Wallerstein Coll. Cat. Wood, 1 ft. 3 in. by 10 in. Stated to be the portrait of Floreins Van der Rüst.

character and type of the picture are quite those of Memling.1

The altar-piece representing incidents from the life of St. Bertin, next claims our attention, being that from which Mr. Michiels derives his opinion that Memling painted for the monastery of Sithiu, near St. Omer. In our opinion it is inferior to the productions of Memling. The greater number of the panels are now at the Royal Palace of the Hague, with the exception of two which are in Paris. These pictures originally formed two wings, which, when closed, covered a gilt altar-piece, adorned with a profusion of precious stones. Their form was such that, when shut, there was a projection, of oblong form, at the top. These portions were cut off from the rest, and are now in the Collection of Mr. Baucousin, in Paris, who thus describes them :-"In one of the fragments are painted several angels, some playing on various instruments, others singing chants. This fragment was situated above the first portion of the work, in which are depicted, within Gothic arches, the bishop who presented them, and the birth of St. Bertin. In the other fragment two angels are carrying the saint to heaven. This portion was situated above the second panel on the right, and over the last compartment, which contained the death of the saint."

"2

The King of Holland's two pictures represent each five subjects from the life of St. Bertin. In the first arcade two ecclesiastics are praying; in the second, is the birth of St.

No. 53, Wallerstein Cat. Wood, 1 ft. 4 in. by 11in.

2 Bought of Mr. Nieuwenhuys, sen., at Brussels, who had separated them from the altar-piece. Wood. Each wing, 20 in. by 52.

Bertin; in the third, the saint is taking the vows in the interior of a church; in the fourth, he is on a pilgrimage; in the fifth, the scene is a mountainous country, with the saint and his companions on their knees before a person of distinction, who holds out his hand with respect. The latter is accompanied by four others, one of whom carries a parchment. The second picture is also divided into arcades. In the first, St. Bertin works the miracle of the conversion of water into wine; in the second, he is preaching; in the third, he is conversing with a bishop; in the fourth and fifth, he is dying, and receiving the last succours of religion,

The portions in the possession of Mr. Baucousin show that the wings were painted on both sides. They were, however, so much injured, that of the painting on one side there was but a trace left, and that has been entirely removed; the remainder having also lost a part of its freshness and finish.

These pictures are inferior to the authentic works of the master particularly in colour and accuracy of design. Memling may have been assisted by his pupils, or even have committed to them the entire execution of the work, which exhibits those differences so easily traced between paintings executed by the hand of the master and those of a pupil. Finally, we are told by M. de Laborde, that, about the year 1500, a certain Dyrick painted for the abbey of St. Omer; and this painter may have had a hand in the panels now before us.1

1 En 1528, on allouait encore X s. à Dyrick le peintre, qui avait recollé et repainct de noire une ronde tablette, estant en la sallette hault près de la chambre de M.S. En 1530 ce même artiste faisait