the year 1462 notice one Hubrecht, a painter, and his sons Hubeken and Gielis, whose daily salaries were 10 plecken.1 But the most noted artist family appears to have been that of Stuerbout, which the records of Louvain first notice in 1468.

Dierick Stuerbout was born at Haarlem, where he lived for many years in the Kruis Straat, at no great distance from the Orphan's House. Van Mander knew his habitation, which he says "had an antiquated front with sculptured heads upon it."2 No notice of his early studies is discoverable. In 1462, he left the town of Haarlem, and fixed his residence at Louvain. In the same year, however, he visited Bruges, where, Pierre Coustain, the painter, one of the varlets de chambre of Philip the Good, being dead, we find Dierick claiming from the Duke a paternoster from the relics of the deceased.3

Was Coustain the master of Stuerbout, or was Dierick his fellow varlet or apprentice? The manner of Stuerbout partakes too much of that of Van der Weyden and Memling to cause a moment's doubt as to his having been the pupil of the one, and the schoolfellow of the other.

The first notice of his works is to be found in

1 The plecke was the 90th part of a gulden. Schayes, Comptes de Louvain, ap. De Laborde, Les Ducs de Bourgogne, vol. i. Introd. P. 117.

2 Van Mander, ut sup., p. 207.

3 "Je Thierry de Harlem confesse avoir reçu de Pierre Bladelin, conseiller de M. S. le Duc de Bourgogne, une patenostres, lesquelles patenostres ont par eux été trouvé, entre les biens déclairiez par feu Jehan Coustain, et sont icelles patenostres à moi despiéça le 9e jour d'Octobre, 1462."-De Laborde, Les Ducs de Bourgogne, ut sup., vol. ii. p. 222.

Van Mander, who copies a signature on the only picture which he knew of "Dierick :

"In one thousand four hundred and sixty-two, Dirk, who was born at Haarlem, painted me at Loven.”1

Dierick, it seems, was actively employed at Louvain in 1462. He was not engaged, however, in the capacity of official painter till 1468, when he commenced the pictures of the town-hall, which, like those painted by Van der Weyden, were to hang in the hall of justice, and deter the judges from acts of favouritism or untruth. Stuerbout chose the subject of his pictures from the legend of King Otho. That king, says the legend, was induced, at the instigation of his wife, to cause the execution of a noble whose only crime was a virtuous refusal to comply with the wishes of the queen. The noble's wife, to whom the secret of the crime was known, appealed to all the customary ordeals to clear her husband's honour, and appeared before king Otho with her husband's head in one hand, and a burning bar of iron in the other. Having gone through the ordeal without hurt, King Otho ordered the execution of the queen as a reparation to the lady for her husband's death. This was the subject of Stuerbout's picture. In one panel he represented the ordeal, and in the other the execution. The two pictures cost, in 1468, two hundred crowns of seventy-two philipps each.2

1 This picture, representing the Saviour with St. Peter and St. Paul, was composed of life-size figures. Van Mander, ut sup., p. 207.

2 Annales et Antiquités de Louvain, unedited manuscript of Mr. Hoorebeke at Ghent. "Anno 1468, worden II stucken schildereyen gemaeckt by Mr. Dierick Stuerbout, die in de Ratcamere staen,

From that time forwards, Stuerbout continued to be employed in works of art, commissioned by the corporation. In the very year in which the panels of the hall of justice were completed, he is found to have received 100 plecken for certain pictures and "porteratueren.” But his most important works appear to have been two large pictures, severally 12 feet long and 26 feet high, and 6 feet high and 4 feet broad.1 The latter, representing d'eene daer de Kaysere justitie doet doen, over eenen grave van hove voert betichten van de Keyserinne, justitie doet, metten brande doert voirseyde betichten, dat valsch bevonden wiert; die geexstimeert waeren op II.C.XXX. (230) croonen te LXII Pls. (philippus) t'stück.”—Messager des Sciences et des Arts de Belgique, 1833, pp. 18, 19.

1 Annales et Antiquités de Louvain, unedited manuscript of Mr. Hoorebeke at Ghent. "Anno eodem (1468) XX May heeft de Stadt van Loven verdinght, tegen den voirseyden Mr. Dierick Stuerbout sekere tafereel oft schilderye van XXVI voeten lank en XII voeten hooghe, nich nog een tafereel van Ons Heeren Ordeele van VI voeten hoeghe en IV voeten breet ons ende voor VC (500) croonen, het welcke Oordeel hanckt in de Schepene Camere opt Stadthuys et Loven.”—Messager des Sciences et des Arts, 1833, p. 18, 19. "Item. Dierick Stuerboudt, scildre, van gelyken LXXXXX plecken, 1468.

"Van eender tafelen te maken van scryn houte die Meester Dierick verdinckt heeft te makene van porteratueren ende van meer andere kleine refection, &c. 1468.

"Anno 1479-80. Item, Meester Dierick Boudts, scildere, tegen der Stad verdinght hadde te schildere viere stucken van eeder grooter tafelen die aan een dienen souden opeen sael oft camere te zettene van porteratueren ende noch van eenen dsinen tafelnelken met zynen dueren van den ordele, ende daer d'ordel inneghestels es, hangende in de raet camere.

'Daeraff, de voirscreve meester Dierick soe verve hy dis volmaect hadde gehadt, sonde hebben van de Stad de somme van Vc. cronen; d'welc alsoe niet ghiboert en es, want by binnen middelen tyden gestorven es, alsoe dat de selve binnen synen tyde niet meer vol maect. Daer voer hem ende zynen kinderen vergouwen ende betaelt heft, ter estumacien ende scattingen van eenen der notas

the "Last Judgment," was finished by Stuerbout for 500 crowns, and hung in the Sheriff's hall. But the larger effort he was unable to complete. Whilst it was in progress, the municipal authorities went in a body to visit him, and gave gratuities to him and his apprentices. One of the most striking items in connexion with the visit, was a payment of 40 plecken to Master Janne Van Haecht, "doctoir in der godheit," for furnishing the painter with the subject and details of his picture.

Stuerbout died in 1478, before he had completed this large piece; but his brothers and nephews, all of them painters, claimed payment for the part that was finished, and submitted their claim to an umpire. That umpire was Van der Goes, on whose award the corporation paid 406 gulden.

Nothing more is known of Dierick beyond these facts. Though his pictures betray not merely the pupil of Van der Weyden, but the cotemporary of Memling, he had characteristic traits by which he was peculiarly distinguishable. His colour, unlike that of either of those masters, was glassy, horny, and thick, laid on with a

belsten scildere die men binnen den lande hier omtrent wiste te vindene, die gheboren es van der Stad van Ghendt ende nu wonechtig es inden Rooden Clooster in Zuemien de somme van guldens vorscreve IIII VI guld. XXXVI pl.

"Item, ten tyden doen Meester Dierick voirscreven dit were maecte ende Stad visenteerde tot synen huyse, werd hem gescinckt, ten bevele van den burgomesteren ende den heeren van der raede, in wyne lopende XC plecken, ende dergelicks geschinckt Meester Janne Van Haecht, Doctoir in den Godheit die der Stad de materie gaff; unt onden zeesten die men scilden sonde was hem gescinckt tot synen huyse in wyn XCIX plecken valet te samen in guldens vorscreven III gul. XXVII p.—Schayes, ap. Laborde, Les Ducs de Bourgogne, Introd. vol. i. p. 117.

profusion of vehicle. The lower preparation was grey and cold, and usually visible through the clear, warm tint that covered it; but his prevailing colour was a dull red, which pervaded the entire surface of his pictures, and deprived them of chiaro-'scuro. His attempts to imitate Memling's gracefulness produced an awkward affectation, superadded to length of form, unnatural design, and inelegant composition. His tall, lean figures, whilst they stand immovable, with drooping shoulders and ill-set joints, were seldom animated even by expression; and large, round eyes, and wrinkled flesh, contributed further to their rigid aspect, profuse and highly-finished ornaments making them look more stark and stiff.

The legendary pictures of the Council Chamber at Louvain' are still examples of these curious defects. The emperor stiffly bends his head before the lady who presents to him her husband's head, whilst a tall, lean figure of a man stands looking on in profile, and seems so slender that his sole support is the stick on which he rests. Such figures are numerous in the panels of the master, and seem to be inspired from Van der Weyden. These are exceptions, however; for other figures, more correct in drawing, remind one, by a certain elegance of motion, of Hans Memling. Such, for instance, is that of the "Countess," holding her husband's head, who moves naturally, and is clothed in drapery of a simple form. Such, again, are the figures in the group of the execution whose forms and motion are well rendered; but

1 At the Hague, in the King's Palace, lately part of the Collection of the Prince of Orange, now dispersed. Nos. 22, 23, of the Cat. of that Collection. Wood, 117 inches high by 66 inches broad.