Blessed Virgin with the Child Jesus, Quinten Massijs (I)
Massijs was one of the pioneers of Renaissance painting and was at the basis of the Antwerp painting school. Before he became a painter, he was a blacksmith. It is not known where Massijs received his education. He grew up in Leuven and in 1491 he was incorporated as freemaster in the bars of the Guild of St Luke in Antwerp. Initially he still leaned towards the style of the Flemish Primitives. This tondo bears witness to this. After 1500 he concentrated on the Renaissance beauty ideal. Nicholas Rockox kept the famous diptych Mary and Jesus of this painter in his art room.
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