Rogier Van Der Weyden
Assignment #1
“Biography of
Rogier van der Weyden”
Prepared by:
GE161 Art History
Jan 30th 2013
Rogier van der Weyden an early Netherlandish painter was originally given the name Rogier da la Pasture (Roger of the Pasture) and was born 1399 in Tournai which would now be called Belgium. He was the son of knife maker Henry de la Pasture and Agnes de Watrelos. Records of his life were destroyed during World War 2 so we cannot be sure as to his early years before he became a recognized painter of the 15th century but there are quite a few different interpretations on his life solely based on bits and pieces that have been put together by scholars over the years. One fact that is known was that he did marry Elisabeth, the daughter of a Brussels shoemaker named Jan Goffaert and wife Cathelyne van Stockem. Rogier and Elisabeth did happen to have four children and of those children Cornelius the eldest actually painted a portrait of his father later on. The life of Rogier van der Weyden was one that was not as eventful or exciting as some of the other painters or sculptures of the 15th century but his story is one that picks up later on at the end of his career and even now into the 21st century. Since Rogier van der Weyden was a son of a knife maker he did manage to fiddle around with sculpting but only as a tinter, he added color to the stark white stone sculptures (“whilst tinting given to the ornaments themselves, and the presence of angels dyed in pink and blue might betray his early occupation as a colorist of stone, and almost suggest that in his youth he painted miniatures” (1)). Records show that he did study under Robert Campin, who was known as the “Master of Flemalle” which can be easily argued today. Under Campin, Rogier became quite the artist and his career soon took off quite quickly which landed him his own title as a master. His career then took off and Brussels were so amazed by his art that they actually appointed him as their
“Biography of
Rogier van der Weyden”
Prepared by:
GE161 Art History
Jan 30th 2013
Rogier van der Weyden an early Netherlandish painter was originally given the name Rogier da la Pasture (Roger of the Pasture) and was born 1399 in Tournai which would now be called Belgium. He was the son of knife maker Henry de la Pasture and Agnes de Watrelos. Records of his life were destroyed during World War 2 so we cannot be sure as to his early years before he became a recognized painter of the 15th century but there are quite a few different interpretations on his life solely based on bits and pieces that have been put together by scholars over the years. One fact that is known was that he did marry Elisabeth, the daughter of a Brussels shoemaker named Jan Goffaert and wife Cathelyne van Stockem. Rogier and Elisabeth did happen to have four children and of those children Cornelius the eldest actually painted a portrait of his father later on. The life of Rogier van der Weyden was one that was not as eventful or exciting as some of the other painters or sculptures of the 15th century but his story is one that picks up later on at the end of his career and even now into the 21st century. Since Rogier van der Weyden was a son of a knife maker he did manage to fiddle around with sculpting but only as a tinter, he added color to the stark white stone sculptures (“whilst tinting given to the ornaments themselves, and the presence of angels dyed in pink and blue might betray his early occupation as a colorist of stone, and almost suggest that in his youth he painted miniatures” (1)). Records show that he did study under Robert Campin, who was known as the “Master of Flemalle” which can be easily argued today. Under Campin, Rogier became quite the artist and his career soon took off quite quickly which landed him his own title as a master. His career then took off and Brussels were so amazed by his art that they actually appointed him as their
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