- Christus, Petrus
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born с 1420, Baerle, Brabantdied 1472/73, BrugesFlemish painter.He is documented as working in Bruges (1444), where he was influenced by the work of Jan van Eyck. Christus is known for his sensitive portraits, but his most important contributions were the introduction of geometric perspective to Netherlandish painting, and his genrelike treatment of religious subjects, seen in works such as St. Eligius as a Goldsmith (1449) and Virgin and Child in a Domestic Interior (с 1450–60).
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▪ Flemish painterborn c. 1420, , Baerle, Brabant [now in Belgium]died 1472/73, BrugesFlemish painter who reputedly introduced geometric perspective into the Netherlands.In 1444 Christus became a citizen of Bruges, where he worked until his death. He is believed to have been trained in Jan van Eyck's studio. His naturalistic mature style, characterized by jewellike execution, is a simplified adaptation of his supposed master's style. But some of his motifs and compositions were drawn from the emotional tradition of Early Netherlandish art.Christus' historical significance lies primarily in his intense interest in the definition of space; his “Virgin with SS. Jerome and Francis” is the earliest Netherlandish painting with a single vanishing point. Among Christus' most important paintings are “Portrait of a Carthusian” (1446), “St. Eligius” (1449), the “Virgin with SS. Jerome and Francis” (probably 1457), and the “Virgin with Child, St. Barbara and a Carthusian Monk.”* * *
Universalium. 2010.
