Flemish painter. Chiefly active in Ghent. His works were highly praised by Italian artists, particularly his
Portinari Altarpiece (
c. 1475; Uffizi, Florence), typically rich both in symbolism and naturalistic detail.
He began with small panels warmly coloured and detailed in the van
Eyck fashion, but from about 1474 he worked on a larger scale, using cool and translucent colour and often expressing great emotional intensity. His best-known work, the
Portinari Altarpiece, was executed for the agent of the Medici at Bruges, Tommaso Portinari. It made a great impression on the Florentines, being closely studied by Domenico
Ghirlandaio, and Goes was favourably mentioned by the historian Giorgio
Vasari.
Other works are the
Adoration of the Magi (Staatliche Museen, Berlin),
Death of the Virgin (
c. 1480, Musée Communale des Beaux Arts, Bruges), and
Monk Meditating (Metropolitan Museum, New York).
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