BLES, Herri met de

Netherlandish painter of landscapes with figures. He is an enigmatic figure presumed to be one and the same as the Herri Patenier who entered the Antwerp GuildGLOSSARYAn association of the masters of a particular craft, trade or profession (painters, goldsmiths, surgeons, and so on) set up to protect its members' rights and interests. Such guilds existed in virtually every European city in the 16th century. The guild also monitored standards of work, acted as a court for those who brought their trade into disrepute, and provided assistance to members in need. in 1535. Herri met de Bles, as van Mander informs us, is simply a nickname meaning 'Herri with the white forelock', and it is generally assumed that he was a relation of Joachim Patenier, who certainly had a decisive influence on his work. No signed or documented work by Herri exists, but a small group of distinctive works has been ascribed to him, characterized by panoramic landscapes dominating the figure groups in the manner of Patenier. His work was popular with Italian collectors, who called him 'Civetta' (little owl) because he often included owls in his pictures.