Sold at Auction: Jan (1478) Gossaert

(b Maubeuge, France, 1478; d Antwerp, Belgium, 1532) Flemish painter. In 1508 Gossaert traveled to Rome, together with his patron, Philip of Burgundy, in order to make drawings after ancient sculptures, probably returning to the north in July of 1509. When Philip was named Bishop of Utrecht in 1517, and moved to the Bishop's Palace at Wijk-bij-Duurstede, fifteen miles south of Utrecht, it is likely that Gossaert accompanied him. He is known to have worked in Utrecht during the following years, designing choir stalls and an altar grille for the cathedral. Despite the classicizing influence of his Roman experiences, even after his return from Italy, Gossaert's drawing style retained a nervous, mannerist quality, and is characterized by short, parallel and curving lines, with cross-hatching to emphasize the shading. (Credit: Sotheby’s, New York, The Franz Koenigs Collection of Old Master Drawings and Prints, January 23, 2001, Lot 4)