Hans Memling was a Flemish artist of German origin, who received his education and started his career in Germany, but then he continued to paint in Flanders.
He was born and spent his childhood in Mainz, Germany. Later, he moved to Brussels for a while, where he worked and studied and painted in the artist's workshop of Rogier van der Weyden. He probably participated in the battle at Nancy, where he was seriously injured and later healed in Bruges' hospital. As a gratitude for this, after he healed, Hans Memling painted a number of free orders for the city government and the church in Bruges.
The artist stayed in this city where he created a family and a reputation for an unsurpassed master. Working in Flanders, Memling has created many famous and wealthy clients and patrons among the European aristocracy. He received orders for paintings and altars from the Medici and the Royal Courts of many European countries.
The art historians are of the opinion that in the field of church painting, Memming is very close to the tradition of his teacher Rogier van der Weyden.
In the field of portrait painting, he was very much influenced by the Italian masters, so his portraits were the most popular in Italy. For these portraits the introduction of a landscape is typical, and the artist skillfully used the perspective and the layout of the model in a large scale, while the landscape was structured in depth rather than flat. The greatest similarities of his portraits are revealed with the portrait style of Raphael. Among his portrait clients are Cardinals of Venice and members of the Medici family in Florence.
