01 Works, RELIGIOUS ART - Interpretation of the Bible! With Footnotes - # 43d

Colijn de Coter

Fons Vitae (Fountain of Life), circa 1515-1517

Oil over oak wood.

267 x 210 cm

Museu da Misericórdia do Porto, Portugal

The theme of Fons Pietatis, central in this painting, was wide spread in medieval Northern and Central Europe, linked with the "Last Judgment". It is also associated to the worship of "Holy Blood" and, from this, to other variants that gathered great devotional receptivity, as the cults of the "Holy Cross" and "Vera Cruz."

Thus, two important iconographic themes converge in the Fons Vitae:

In terms of the earthly plane, Regal iconography of King Manuel I, this being perhaps the only existing work in that the monarch is depicted with the attributes inherent to His political ideology and spiritual framework;

In the heavenly plane, the theme of the "Calvary" associated with the "source of life" and "Piety", being that the Portuguese coat-of-arms included the cross of Christ and the five wounds. More on this painting

Colijn de Coter (c. 1440–1445 – c. 1522–1532) was an early Netherlandish painter who produced mainly altarpieces. He worked primarily in Brussels and Antwerp. His name was sometimes given as Colijn van Brusele (Colijn of Brussels), indicating that he hailed from Brussels or at the least lived there most of his active life.

Although unproven, art historians believe Colijn de Coter headed an influential workshop with a number of pupils. This conclusion is based on the diversity in style and quality of the work attributed to him. The Leiden painter Cornelis Engebrechtsz. may have been one of his pupils.

Three signed paintings are known: St Luke Painting the Virgin in the parish church of Vieure, Cosne d’Allier, the altarpiece of the Trinity (Paris, Louvre) and the Virgin Crowned by Angels (Düsseldorf, private collection). These works are the basis for the attributions of other works to this artist.

His work was particularly indebted to the Master of Flémalle and Rogier van der Weyden. His technique is simpler, the treatment of the figures more schematic and the modeling less detailed. His more decorative and formal treatment of subjects responded to the prevailing taste of his patrons. In his time Colijn de Coter was a much sought after artist, particularly for altarpieces. More Colijn de Coter

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