About the Artist

Bouts was one of the leading Dutch masters of the 15th century. He is the first documented in Louvian in 1448. He worked there from 1457, and was named the City painter in 1468. The similarities between his style and that of Peruse Christens suggest that Christus may have been his teacher. Bouts was also heavily influenced by Rogier van der Weyden, but his narrative canvases are more peaceful and restrained, without a strong dramatic or symbolic element. His use of perspective is very skillful, and he successfully captures the varying moods of nature and different times of day. Important works by the artist include Portrait of a Young Man, 1462, The National Gallery, London; Virgin and Child, The National Gallery, London; and The Way to Paradise, c 1470, Museo des Beaux-Arts, Lille