130 THE FINE ARTS. 
made in their art. The consequence was that the native art lost its peculiar 
character, and borrowed in its place from that of Italy nothing but external 
forms, movements, and costumes. The coloring, however, long retained its 
peculiar stamp. The most eminent masters who pursued this course are the 
following : 
John Schoreel (1495-1590), a pupil of James Cornelius, a celebrated 
painter whose works unfortunately have perished, perfected himself in the 
school of John of Mabuse and also received instruction from Direr; he 
afterwards visited the Holy Land and Jerusalem, seeking out all the places 
of historical interest, and taking views of them. In Italy, where Schoreel 
remained for a considerable time, he studied the works cf Raphael and his 
contemporaries; and in consequence he introduced an entirely new taste 
into the painting of his native land, on which account his countrymen call 
him “the torch of the painter’s art.” One of his best pupils was Martin 
Heemskerk (1498-1574), who likewise visited Italy. After his return he 
became highly honored in his native land and painted a great deal; but 
most of his works, including the best, were destroyed at the taking of Har- 
lem by the Spaniards in 1573. Many of the pictures in galleries which go 
by his name are most probably the work of Egbert Heemskerk. 
John of Mabuse (Maubeuge, properly Johann Gossaert, 1498-1562) was 
born at Maubeuge in Hainault, and studied in Italy. Notwithstanding his 
more than dubious manner of life and his love of dissipation, he arrived in 
painting at a very high degree of perfection. He was the first painter that 
transferred the Italian art to Flanders, and there ventured to introduce 
figures completely naked into his pictures. His greatest picture was the 
altar-piece of the church in Middelburg, which was unfortunately destroyed 
by fire. His works are seldom met with in galleries; yet Vienna and 
Munich possess some of them. JBernardin of Orley likewise pursued 
this course; he was one of Raphael’s favorite pupils, and the latest 
investigations have established with tolerable certainty that Raphael’s 
beautiful Christ bearing the Cross, known by the name of the Spasimo di 
Sicilia, isin great part from the hand of this artist. From this time onward 
till the beginning of the 16th century, the masters, with the exception of 
Francis Porbus, gradually diminished in excellence ; and Peter Paul Rubens 
was the first to awaken art to a new life. This artist, one of the greatest 
geniuses of his time, was born in the year 1577 in Cologne, whither his 
father, a lawyer of Antwerp, had betaken himself, in order to escape 
from the troubles of Brabant. Rubens received a classical education ; was 
then a page, and lastly applied himself to painting, in which he received 
instructions from Adam Van Oort and Otto Venius. His artistic skill, 
which soon became very extraordinary, and still more his varied acquire- 
ments and agreeable deportment, brought him in contact with the most 
eminent personages of his time, and led him as ambassador to the court of 
Philip II. of Spain, whither he was sent by the Duke of Mantua, while he 
was engaged in Italy, expecially in Venice and Mantua, in studying the old 
masters. After his return to Italy he came back to his own country, where 
he lived wholly in the study and practice of his art, until Mariade’ Medici 
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