David, Gerard

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Netherlandish painter. He was active chiefly in Bruges from about 1484. His style follows that of Rogier van der Weyden, but he was also influenced by the taste in Antwerp for Italianate ornament. The Marriage at Cana (c. 1503; Louvre, Paris) is an example of his work.

Born in Holland, in a village near Gouda, he arrived in Bruges in 1482, married, in 1501, Cornelia Cnoop, daughter of the dean of the Goldsmiths' Guild and a miniaturist, and apart from a short stay at Antwerp, about 1515, when he was admitted to the Painters' Guild, spent his working life in that decaying but still wealthy city. Tranquil and highly detailed, his art takes elements from van Eyck, van der Weyden, and Memling, late works also suggesting the influence of Quinten Massys. Famous paintings are the panels ordered by the magistrates of Bruges for the Hall of Justice depicting the arrest and punishment of the corrupt judge Sisamnes (Bruges, Musée Communal) and the Baptism of Christ, also in Bruges. Some miniatures are attributed to him.

The disc represents the full moon, traditionally the most auspicious time for work and celebration. The disc is set towards the hoist. Effective date: 1 January 1981. >>