on their own stock; and the cross turned out so unfortunate that for a century Flemish art lost all trace of
originality.In the summer of 1509 Philip returned to the Netherlands, and, retiring to his seat of Suytburg in Zceland, surrendered himself to the pleasures of planning decorations for his castle and ordering pictures of Mabuse and Jacob of Birbari. Being in constant communication with the court of Margaret of Austria at Malines, he gave the artists in his employ fair chances of promotion. Barbari was made court painter to the regent, whilst M abuse received less im- portant commissions. Records prove that Mabuse pamtcd a portrait of Leonora of Portugal, and other small pieces, for Charles V. in 1516. But the only signed pictures of this period are the Neptune and Amphitrite of 1516 at Berlin, and the Madonna, with a portrait of Jean Carondelet, of 1517. at the Louvre, in both of which we clearly discern that Vasari only spoke by hearsay of the progress made by Mabuse in “the true method of producing pictures full of nude figures and poesies.” It is dillicult to find any- thing more coarse or misshapen than the Amphitrite, unless we except the grotesque and ungainly drayman who figures for Neptune. In later forms of the same subject—the Adam and Eve at Hampton Court, or its feebler replica at Berlin—we observe more nudity, combined with realism of the commonest type. Happily Mabuse was capable of higher efforts. His St Luke painting the portrait of the Virgin in Sanct Veit at Prague, a variety of the same sub- ject in the Belvedere at Vienna, the Madonna of the Baring collection in London, or the numerous repetitions of Christ and the Scofi‘ers (Ghent and Antwerp), all prove that travel had left many of Gossart’s fundamental peculiarities un- altered. His figures still retain the character of stone; his architecture is as rich and varied, his tones are as strong as ever. But bright contrasts of gaudy tints are replaced by soberer greys; and a cold haze, the “sfumato ” of the Milanese, pervades the surfaces. It is but seldom that these features fail to obtrude. When they least show, the master displays a brilliant palette combined with smooth surface and incisive outlines. In this form the Madonnas of Munich and Vienna (1527), the likeness of a girl weighing gold pieces (Berlin), and the portraits of the children of the king of Denmark at Hampton Court, are fair specimens of his skill.
Philip of Burgundy had been deputed in Italy (1515) to escort Charles V.’s sister, Isabella, to Denmark. She was the afiianced bride of Christian II., whose subsequent attempt to unite Denmark and Sweden ended so fatally. Here a favourable opportunity was afforded for introducing Mabuse to the Danish court; and it is possible that the opportunity was not neglected. Yet Mabuse may have become acquainted with the Danish king at a later period. As early as 1523, when Christian came to Belgium, he asked Mabuse to paint the likenesses of his dwarfs. In 1528 he requested the artist to furnish to Jean de Hare the design for Isabella’s tomb in the abbey of St Pierre near Ghent. It was no doubt at this time that Mabuse com- pleted the portraits of John, Dorothy, and Christine, children of Christian II., which came into the collection of Henry VIII. No doubt, also, these portraits are identical with those of three children at Hampton Court, which were long known and often eipied as likenesses of Prince Arthur, Prince Henry, and Princess Margaret of England. One of the copies at Wilton, inscribed with the forged name of “Hans IIolbein, ye father,” and the false date of 1495, has often been cited as a proof that Mabuse came to England in the reign of Henry VII. ; but the statement, it is clear, rests on no foundation whatever. At the period when these portraits were executed Mabuse lived at Middleburg. But he dwelt at intervals elsewhere. When Philip of Burgundy became bishop of Utrecht, and settled at Duerstede, near Wyck, in 1517, he was accompanied by Mabuse, who helped to decorate the new palace of his master. At l’hilip’s death, in 1524, Mabuse designed and erected his tomb in the church of Wyck. lle tinally retired to Middleburg, where he took service with Philip’s brother, Adolph, lord of Vccrcn. Van Mandcr’s biography accuses Uossart of habitual drunkenness; yet it describes the splendid appearance of the artist as, dressed in gold brocade, hc accou'lpanied Lucas of Leyden on a pleasure trip to (thent, Malincs, and Antwerp in 1527. The works of Mabuse are those of a hardworking and patient artist; the number of his still extant pictures practically demonstrates that he was not a debauchcs. The marriage of his daughter with the painter IIenry Van dcr Ileyden of Louvain proves that he had a home, and did not live habitually in taverns, as Van Mander suggests. His death at Antwerp, on the lst of October 1532, is recorded in the portrait engraved by Jerome Cock.
(j. a. c.)
GOSSELIES, a town of Belgium, in the arrondissement of Charleroi and province of Hennegau, is picturesquely situated on the Pieton and on the Brussels and Charleroi canal, 8 miles N.W. from Charleroi. There are extensive coal-mines in the neighbourhood, and the town possesses breweries, tanneries, bleaehworks,and manufactories of hats, knives, and nails. Here the French gained a victory over the Austrians, 26th June 1794. The population is about 7000.
Gotalm, or Got/um), a town of Germany, formerly capital of the old dnchy of Gotha, and now, alternately with Coburg, the residence of the duke of Saxe-Coburg. Gotha is situated on a canal of the Lcina, and on the 'l‘huringian railway, about 6 miles north of the Thuringian Forest. It consists of the town proper and four suburbs, which are grouped in the shape of a half-moon t0 the north, west, and east of the hill on which, at the height of 1086 feet, stands the castle of Fricdenstein. With the exception of those in the older portion of the town, the streets are handsome and spacious, and the beautiful gardens and promenades between the suburbs and the castle add greatly to the town’s attractiveness. On the other side of the castle there is an extensive and finely adorned park. To the north-west of the town the Gulberg hill,—on which there is a public pleasure garden,—and to the south-west the Lecberg hill, rise to a height of over 1300 feet, and afford extensive views of a beautiful panorama. The castle, begun by Ernest the Pious in 1613 and completed in 1654. occupies the site of the old fortress of (trimmenstein. It is a huge square building flanked with two wings, having towers rising to the height of about 1-10 feet. It contains the ducal eoin cabinet, and the ducal library of nearly 200,000 volumes, among which are several rare editions, and about 6900 manu- scripts. The pieture gallery, the cabinet of engravings, the natural history museum, the Chinese museum, and the cabinet of art, which includes a collection of Egyptian, Etruscan, Itoman, and German antiquities, are now included in a new building, Completed in 1878, which stands on the southern terrace of the castle. The principal other public buildings are the Margaret church,—-with a beautiful portal and a lofty tower,—founded in the 12th century, twice burnt down, and rebuilt in its present form in 1652; the Augustines or Cloister church, with an altar-piece by the painter Jacobs ; the theatre; the fire insurance bank and the life insurance bank; the ducal palace, in the Italian villa style, with a winter garden and picture gallery; the buildings of the legislature of the dnehy; the hospital; the old town-house, dating from the 11th century; the old dwelling-house of the painter Lucas Cranaeh, now used as
a girls’ school; the ducal stable; and the Friedriehsthal