HEMESSEN, JAN SANDERS VAN

(c. 1500-c. 1564)

Netherlandish artist from the region of Antwerp who became dean of theGuildof Painters in that city in 1548. In 1551, van Hemessen moved to Haarlem where he spent the rest of his life. He is the father and teacher of Caterina van Hemessen who specialized in portraiture and religious subjects. Jan is best known for his crude, often comical figure types that are crowded into the pictorial space. One of his favorite subjects was the story of the prodigal son, with the version in the Brussels Musées Royaux of 1536 providing one of the best examples. He also paintedgenrescenes, such asThe Surgeon(c. 1555) in the Prado Museum, Madrid. Other works by van Hemessen includeJesus SummonsMatthewto Leave the Tax Office(1536; Munich, Alte Pinakothek), theMocking of Christ(c. 1560; Douai, Museé de la Chartreuse), andChrist Driving the Merchants from the Temple(1556; Nancy, Musée des Beaux-Arts).