# Quinten Metsys

> Flemish painter (1466-1530)

**Wikidata**: [Q314275](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q314275)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quentin_Matsys)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/quinten-metsys

## Summary
Quinten Metsys (also known as Quentin Matsys or Quinten Massijs) was a Flemish painter, architectural draftsperson, and medalist active in the Duchy of Brabant and the Habsburg Netherlands. Born in 1466 and dying in 1530, he is best known for his oil paintings and portraits, including notable works such as *The Ugly Duchess* and *The Moneylender and his Wife*.

## Biography
- **Born:** 1466 (also listed as 1465 or 1456 in some records).
- **Died:** 1530 (specifically listed as January 1 or September 14, 1530).
- **Nationality:** Flemish; citizen of the Duchy of Brabant and Habsburg Netherlands.
- **Occupations:** Painter, architectural draftsperson, medalist, visual artist.
- **Known for:** Painting, portraits, and artistic creation.
- **Field(s):** Painting (practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface).
- **Aliases:** Quinten (I) Massijs, Quinten Massijs (I), Quentin Massys, Quentin Metsys, Quintinus Mesius, Quinten Matsijs, Quinten Matsys, Quintino Messi, Quinten I Massijs, the Elder Quentin Massys.

## Contributions
Quinten Metsys created several significant works during his career, primarily in the early 16th century:
- **The Ugly Duchess (1513):** A painting created in 1513, serving as a notable example of his portraiture.
- **The Moneylender and his Wife (1514):** A painting dated January 1, 1514, recognized as a major work in his oeuvre.
- **Altarpiece of the Guild of the Joiners (1511):** A painting created in 1511.
- **Madonna and Child with Angels (1509):** A painting created in 1509.

## FAQs
### What was Quinten Metsys's profession?
Quinten Metsys was a Flemish painter, visual artist, architectural draftsperson, and medalist. He engaged in artistic creation, specifically the practice of applying paint to surfaces, and drafted technical drawings of buildings.

### Where did Quinten Metsys live and work?
Metsys was associated with the Duchy of Brabant, a state of the Holy Roman Empire, and the Habsburg Netherlands, a polity ruled by the Habsburg House from 1482 to 1795.

### What are the most famous works created by Quinten Metsys?
His most famous works include *The Ugly Duchess* (1513), *The Moneylender and his Wife* (1514), the *Altarpiece of the Guild of the Joiners* (1511), and *Madonna and Child with Angels* (1509).

### Who influenced Quinten Metsys?
Records indicate that Metsys was influenced by Lieven van Lathem, a 15th-century Netherlandish painter and manuscript illuminator (c.1438–1493).

## Why They Matter
Quinten Metsys is a significant figure in the history of Flemish art, representing the artistic output of the Habsburg Netherlands and the Duchy of Brabant during the late 15th and early 16th centuries. His work in painting and portraiture, exemplified by pieces like *The Moneylender and his Wife*, provides a detailed visual record of the era's social and economic contexts. As an architectural draftsperson and medalist, his contributions extended beyond canvas painting, influencing the broader visual arts landscape of the region.

## Notable For
- Being a Flemish painter (1466–1530) active in the Habsburg Netherlands.
- Creating *The Ugly Duchess* in 1513.
- Creating *The Moneylender and his Wife* in 1514.
- Holding occupations as a painter, architectural draftsperson, and medalist.
- Being a member of the human species (Homo sapiens) and an artist who practices painting.
- Being influenced by Lieven van Lathem.

## Body
### Early Life and Background
Quinten Metsys was born in 1466. Alternative birth dates found in records include 1465 and 1456. He was a human, identified as a unique extant species of the genus Homo. His life spanned a period of significant political change in the region, encompassing the existence of the Duchy of Brabant (a state of the Holy Roman Empire established in 1183) and the Habsburg Netherlands (ruled by the Habsburg House from 1482 to 1795).

### Career and Occupations
Metsys held multiple professional identities. He was primarily a painter, defined as an artist who practices painting. He was also an architectural draftsperson, a drafter of technical drawings of buildings, and a medalist, an artist who designs medals or medallions. Additionally, he was a visual artist involved with the visual arts. His field of work was painting, the practice of applying paint, pigment, color, or other medium to a surface. He was also known for portraits, which are artistic representations of one or more persons.

### Notable Works
Metsys produced several documented works:
- **The Ugly Duchess:** This painting was created in 1513.
- **The Moneylender and his Wife:** This work was inception-dated January 1, 1514.
- **Altarpiece of the Guild of the Joiners:** A painting created in 1511.
- **Madonna and Child with Angels:** A painting created in 1509.

### Influences and Connections
Metsys was influenced by Lieven van Lathem, a 15th-century Netherlandish painter and manuscript illuminator who lived from approximately 1438 to 1493. While Metsys was a distinct artist, the source material also references Lucas Cranach the Elder (1472–1553), a German painter and printmaker, as a related entity in the broader context of regional artists, though no direct professional link between Metsys and Cranach is detailed beyond their shared era and region.

### Death and Legacy
Quinten Metsys died in 1530. Specific dates recorded for his death include January 1, September 14, and the general year 1530. He is remembered under numerous aliases, including Quinten (I) Massijs, Quinten Massijs (I), Quentin Massys, Quentin Metsys, Quintinus Mesius, Quinten Matsijs, Quinten Matsys, Quintino Messi, Quinten I Massijs, and the Elder Quentin Massys. His legacy is preserved through his notable works and his identification as a key painter of the Flemish tradition.

## References

1. RKDartists
2. BnF authorities
3. ECARTICO
4. Encyclopædia Britannica Online
5. Virtual International Authority File
6. [Source](https://www.museabrugge.be/collection/work/id/2012_GRO0006_III)
7. [Source](http://kmska.be/collection/work/data/2ofbf2)
8. Union List of Artist Names. 2017
9. The Fine Art Archive
10. Web Gallery of Art
11. International Standard Name Identifier
12. Integrated Authority File
13. Quinten Metsys. Union List of Artist Names
14. SNAC
15. Le Dictionnaire des peintres belges du XIVe siècle à nos jours
16. Lord Byron and his Times
17. LIBRIS
18. British Museum person-institution thesaurus
19. Athenaeum
20. ARTIC
21. Inventory of Immovable Heritage
22. [BnF authorities](https://data.bnf.fr/en/12191575/quentin_metsys/)
23. Artnet
24. AGORHA
25. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
26. [Source](https://www.dbnl.org/tekst/mand001schi01_01/mand001schi01_01_0196.php)
27. [Source](http://digitale.beic.it/primo_library/libweb/action/search.do?fn=search&vid=BEIC&vl%283134987UI0%29=creator&vl%28freeText0%29=Massys%20Quentin)
28. CONOR.SI
29. CERL Thesaurus
30. Quora
31. Metropolitan Museum of Art
32. [Source](https://www.fine-arts-museum.be/nl/de-collectie/artist/metsys-quinten-1)
33. [Paneelschildering "H. Anna te Drieën" op hout, omgeving Quinten Matsijs, eind 15e eeuw](https://www.collectiegelderland.nl/object/f9e96a3b-652e-0435-1096-cf6783d61bb7)
34. [Source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Paintings_by_Quinten_Massijs_(I)_in_the_museum_of_Chartres?uselang=fr)
35. Bibliography of the History of the Czech Lands
36. catalogo.beniculturali.it
37. CollectieGelderland
38. HMML Authority File
39. [Source](http://data.advn.be/id)