Christus or Cristus, Petrus [key], fl. 1444–c.1473, Flemish painter; a follower and probably a pupil of the Van Eycks. In 1444 he became a free citizen of Bruges, where he remained until his death. Christus was successful in the rendering of geometric perspective and became noted for his fine, introspective treatment of figures, particularly in portraiture. Many of his works show a simplification of the compositions of Jan van Eyck, and there are traces of the influence of Roger van der Weyden. Among the paintings ascribed to Christus are the portraits of Edward Grymestone (Earl of Verulam Coll., England); Lamentation and a portrait of an unknown Carthusian monk (both: Metropolitan Mus.); Lamentation (Brussels); and Nativity (National Gall. of Art, Washington, D.C.).
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