NTH CENTURY: In this century Flemish
painting became rather widely diffused. The schools of Bruges and
Ghent gave place to the schools in the large commercial cities like
Antwerp and Brussels, and the commercial relations between the Low
Countries and Italy finally led to the dissipation of national
characteristics in art and the imitation of the Italian Renaissance
painters. There is no sharp line of demarcation between those painters
who clung to Flemish methods and those who adopted Italian methods.
The change was gradual.

[Illustration: FIG. 76.--MASSYS. HEAD OF VIRGIN. ANTWERP.]

Quentin Massys (1460?-1530) and Mostert (1474-1556?), a Dutchman by
birth, but, like Bouts, Flemish by influence, were among the last of
the Gothic painters in Flanders, and yet they began the introduction
of Italian features in their painting. Massys led in architectural
backgrounds, and from that the Italian example spread to subjects,
figures, methods, until the indigenous Flemish art became a thing of
the past. Massys was, at Antwerp, the most important painter of his
day, following the old Flemish methods with many improvements. His
work was detailed, and yet executed with a broader, freer brush than
formerly, and with more variety in color, modelling, expression of
character. He increased figures to almost life-size, giving them
greater importance than landscape or architecture. The type was still
lean and angular, and often contorted with emotion. His Money-Changers
and Misers (many of them painted by his son) were a _genre_ of his
own. With him closed the Gothic school, and with him began the

ANTWERP SCHOOL, the pupils of which went to Italy, and eventually
became Italianized. Mabuse (1470?-1541) was the first to go. His early
work shows the influence of Massys and David. He was good in
composition, color, and brush-work, but lacked in originality, as did
all the imitators of Italy. Franz Floris (1518?-1570) was a man of
talent, much admired in his time, because he brought back
reminiscences of Michael Angelo to Antwerp. His influence was fatal
upon his followers, of whom there were many, like the Franckens and De
Vos. Italy and Roman methods, models, architecture, subjects, began to
rule everywhere.

From Brussels Barent van Orley (1491?-1542) left early for Italy, and
became essentially Italian, though retaining some Flemish color. He
painted in oil, tempera, and for glass, and is supposed to have gained
his brilliant colo