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Geertgen tot Sint Jans was a 15th century Dutch painter active in Haarlem (1460/1465 - before 1495). His name means "little Gerard of the order of St. John".

Geertgen tot Sint Jans reached a personal style at early age. It has been recorded that Albrecht Durer said of Geertgen "Truly he was a painter in his mother's womb".

His paintings can be seen in Vienna ( Kunsthistorisches Museum) and Berlin (Gemäldegalerie).

One of his most famous paintings is Geschiedenis van het gebeente (beenderen) van Johannes de Doper, or, The Legend of the Relics of St. John the Baptist. It was part of a larger triptych for an altar of the Knights of St. John at Haarlem. It was destroyed during the siege of Haarlem in 1573, but parts were saved.

In total only twelve works of Geertgen survived. Other titles ascribed to him are:

• The Holy Kinship ( Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam)
• Adoration of the Kings (Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam)
• Lamentation over the Dead Christ
• The Raising of Lazarus ( LouvreThe Louvre Museum Musee du Louvre , located in Paris, is one of the largest and most famous museums in the world. The building, a former royal palace (see below), lies in the centre of Paris, between the Seine river and the Rue de Rivoli. Its central cour)
• Adoration of the Magi (the wise men from the east) (National Gallery, Prague)
• Nativity, at Night ( National Gallery, LondonThe National Gallery is an art gallery in London, located on the north side of Trafalgar Square, in a building designed by William Wilkins. It holds part of the National Collection, particularly Western European art from 1250 to 1900. Some British art is)
• John the Baptist in the Wilderness (Staatliche Museen Preussischer Kulturbesitz, Staatliche Museen, Berlin)
• Vir Dolorum (Aartsbisschoppelijke Musea, Utrecht)
• Virgin and Child (Museum Boymans-van Beuningen, Rotterdam)

External links

Information on Geertgen tot Sint Jans from the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam