Mostaert, Jan

(c. 1472-1555)

   Dutch painter from Haarlem who was trained by Jacob Janszen and influenced by Geertgen Tot Sint Jans. In 1507, and again in 1543-1544, Mostaert served as dean of the painter's guild in Haarlem. In 1519, he is also documented working in the court of Margaret of Austria. His Passion Triptych (c. 1510; Brussels, Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts) shows Geertgen's influence, particularly in the elongation and stiffness of the figures, the ovoid faces, and the gentleness that permeates the painting, features also found in his Adoration of the Magi (1515-1520; Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum). His Tree of Jesse (1485; Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum) presents the genealogy of Christ, with Jesse reclining on the ground, a tree growing out of him, Christ's male ancestors climbing on it, and the Virgin and Child at the apex. This scene translates visually the prophecy of Isaiah that a Messiah would be born from the family line of Jesse, father of King David, a scene common to the North, particularly in illuminated manuscripts. Mostaert's skill as portraitist is demonstrated by his Portrait of a Man (c. 1515-1520; Brussels, Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts) which includes in the background another prophecy about the coming of the Lord, in this case made by the Tiburtine Sibyl to Emperor Caesar Augustus. One of Mostaert's most unusual paintings is the West Indian Landscape (c. 1540; Haarlem, Frans Halsmuseum), which depicts nude natives, huts, and animals indigenous to the Americas. Though seemingly a pastoral setting, peace is disturbed by a group of armed European invaders. While the significance of the subject is not clear, it has been suggested that the work may symbolize the colonization efforts in the Dutch territory by the tyrannous Spaniards.