Dieric Bouts the Younger

Dieric Bouts the Younger, also Dirk Bouts the Younger, (1448–May 2,1491) was a Belgian painter of the Early Netherlandish painting era.

Dieric was born into a family of painters in Leuven. He was trained by his father the painter Dieric Bouts the Elder (ca.1415-1475), and his brother was Aelbrecht Bouts (1450s-1549). His son Jan Bouts (1478-1531) also became a painter. Dieric inherited his father’s shop in 1475, while his brother Aelbrecht established his own workshop, also in Leuven. Whereas Dieric the Younger continued in his father's style, Aelbrecht developed his own unmistakable style with strong colors, rich texture and fine details. In 1486 he was commissioned to work with his brother on the wings of the triptych of the Holy Sacrament in St. Peter's Church, Leuven.

Because his painting style was that of his father almost indistinguishable, it is difficult to attribute paintings. There are art historians who attribute the work The Pearl of Braban, a wing altar display in the Alte Pinakothek in Munich directly to the Younger. However, other art historians attribute it to his father because of the high quality of work. Bouts died at a young age on May 2, 1491. His brother Albert became guardian of his minor son Jan who was also active as a painter in Mechelen.

References

• Friedländer, Max J. Early Netherlandish Painting. Translated by Heinz Norden. Leiden: Praeger, 1967-76 ASIN B0006BQGOW
• F. BAUDOUIN, Dieric Bouts II, in the National Biographical Dictionary, Part 1, col. 261-262, Brussels 1964
• A. WAUTERS, Thierri Bouts le jeune, in the Biographie Nationale, part 2, col. 883-884, Brussels, 1868