Van der Goes, << van duhr GOOS, >> Hugo (1440?-1482), was the leading Flemish painter of religious subjects and portraits of his generation. His pictures reflect the influence of the Flemish painters Jan van Eyck in their rich detail and Rogier van der Weyden in their dramatic poses. Van der Goes’ paintings, however, communicate a more emotional, intense feeling through the individualized posture, gestures, and expressions of his solidly formed figures. These figures range from earthy peasants to the Holy Family. Van der Goes painted many large-scale religious works, frequently emphasizing such highly emotional subjects as the death of the Virgin Mary. One of his famous paintings is a triptych (three-paneled painting), the Portinari Altarpiece.
Little is known of Van der Goes’ early life. In 1467, he was accepted as a master in the artists’ guild in Ghent, in what is now Belgium. About 1475, he entered a monastery near Brussels as a lay brother. His complex personality was marked by periods of melancholy, which may account for expressionistic aspects of his paintings.
