WEYDEN, van der, Flemish family of painters

Active in both Tournai and Brussels, Rogier van der Weyden was one of the most renowned painters of the 15th century, though his reputation declined after the loss of important works in the 17th century and is only now being reinstated. He was probably trained by the Master of Flémalle and he also clearly knew the work of Jan van Eyck; his interests differed from theirs, however, and he became increasingly concerned with developing the emotional impact of his religious paintings. He was also an innovative and influential portrait painter. Rogier apparently established a large workshop and had many imitators, but none achieved the subtlety and expressive power of his paintings. His son Pieter van der Weyden is usually identified with the anonymous Master of the Legend of St Catherine, a painter active in Brussels c. 1470–1500. Pieter's son Goswijn van der Weyden presumably trained with his father and grew up in Brussels in an artistic circle deeply imbued with the stylistic influence of his famous grandfather.