GONÇALVES, NUNO

(active 1450-1471)

The leading painter of Portugal in the 15th century and possibly the teacher ofBartolomé Bermejo, Gonçalves was appointed court painter to Alfonso V in 1450 and, in 1471, he was made the official painter of Lisbon. The only work known by him is theRetableof St.Vincent(c. 1460-1470; Lisbon, Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga), painted for the Convent of St. Vincent in Lisbon and financed by Prince Henry "the Navigator," son of King John I. The monumentality of the figures, their individualization, the brilliance of color, and the meticulousness in the rendering of details are all elements that influenced painting in Portugal until the 16th century.