QUENTIN MASSYS was born in 1466 and died in 1530, which
makes him a generation younger than Hans Memlinc, a gener-
ation older than Bernaert van Orley. What we know of his
work was done in full maturity and in old age. We can follow his work
without coming upon serious gaps from about 1506 until almost 1530 and
can discern the direction that he took. Everything prior to 1506 is obscure
or only dimly illumined by hypotheses. It is of little consequence whether
the master was born in Antwerp or, as now seems more probable, at
Louvain. Even if we were certain that he had spent his youth and
apprenticeship at Louvain and had absorbed nothing but Louvain art
during his formative years it would not throw much light on his art. We
know a little more about Louvain art around 1480 than about the con-
temporary art in Antwerp--but it is still precious little. The threads that
have been spun from Dieric Bouts, the chief master at Louvain, who died
in 1476, to Massys are tenuous indeed. Aelbert Bouts, Dieric's son, seems
to have been head of a productive workshop at Louvain around 1480 and
we think we can recognize the products. But we must not exclude the
possibility that artists unknown today made a deeper impression on the
young Massys than did the meagre Bouts tradition that we do know.

The only practicable way is to begin where the master's art is fully
and richly developed.

By a fortunate coincidence the two accredited works, outstanding
apart from their size, are dated or at least can be dated. These two works
differ from one another in subject-matter; the sudden change of theme
brought astounding variety and richness.

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