Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 5.djvu/815

 EYCKEN

735

EYMERIC

beginning of the seventeenth century, with its new schools at Antwerp and Amsterdam, before the naturalism of the North, before the more homely, hearty, and winning genius of the Van Eycks. It is therefore impossible to exaggerate the importance of their work, which, besides occupying a unique posi- tion throughout the fifteenth century, led the way in the evolution which two centuries later produced such painters as Rubens and Rembrandt.

The following is a list of the signed and dated works of Jan van Evck: The "Consecration of St. Thomas Becket" (1421— Chatsworth); "The Madonna" (U32 — Ince Hall); portraits of two men (1432-1433— National Gallerj') ; "Arnolfini and his Wife" (1434 — National Gallery) ; " Portrait of Jan de Leewe " (1436 — Vienna); "The Virgin", with kneeling figure of Canon van der Paele (1436 — Bruges); "St. Barbara" (1437— Antwerp); "Head of Christ" (143S— Berlin); "The Artist '.s Wife" (1439— Bruges); "The Virgin" (1439 — .\ntwerp). The principal works without date or signature that can be certainly attributed to the brothers Van Eyck are " Portrait of an Old JIan" (Vienna); "The Man with the Pinks" (Berlin); "The Madonna of Lucca" (Frankfort); "The Madonna" executed for Chancellor Rolin (Lou\Te); "The Vir- gin" (Burleigh House, E.xeter); "The Virgin" (Paris, Rothschild); triptych, not completed (Van Hellen- pute collection, Mechlin).

Facius. De i-ii-is illustribus (1456, published at Florence, 1745); MoRELLi. Anonimo in the .Vo/irVe d'opere di disegno (Bassano, 1800 1; Vasari, Le VUe (Florence, 1550) (preface and life of .\ntonello of Messina): van Mander. He! Schilder Boek (Amsterdam. 1604); Waages, H. iind J. Van Ei/ck (Breslau, 1862); Weale. Xotes on Jan van Eyck (Bruges. 1864); Idem. The dale of Jan ran Eyck's Death in The Burlington Magazine (London, 1904); de Laborde, Les dues de Bourgogne (Paris. 1849); V. Leclerc and Ernest Renan. Discours sur Vetui desarts au XIV' siicle (Paris. 1865): Crowe and Cavalcaselle, The Early Flemish Painters (London, 1857); Taine. Philosophic de Vart (Paris, 1S72): Fromentin, Les 'naitres d'autrefois (Paris, 1876): Knackfuss, Hubert und Jan van Eyck (Biele- feld, 1897); CouRAjoD, Lemons professees a Vecole du Louvre (Paris, 1899-1903); Durrieu, Les debuts des Van Eyck {Gazette des Beau:r Arts (1902); Les Heures de Turin, phototype repro- duction (Paris, 1903): Hulin, L'exposition des Primiiifs Flamands.an arranged catalogue (Bruges. 1902); Dvorak. Das Rcitsel der Briidrr Van Eyck (Berlin, 1906): WuRZBACH, Nieder- Idndisches Kunstlerlexikon (Leipzig, 1906).

Louis Gillet.

Eycken, Je.\n Baptists Van, painter, b. at Brus- sels, Belgium, 16 September, 1809; d. at Schaerbeek, 19 December, 1853. He was the son of Comeille van Eycken and Elise Cordemans, and as a boy was em- ployed in commercial pursuits, but from 1829, when his father died, he gave himself over entirely to the study of art. In 1830 he became a member of the Academy of Belgium, in 1835 gained an important prize with high distinctions, and four years afterwards was appointed professor of drawing and painting. In 1838 he went to Italy, returning in 1839 and resuming his professorship. In that year he exhibited his great picture of " Divine Pity", which was warmly received and brought him a gold medal and a high position in the Soci^te des Beaux .\rts de France. He married in 1S40 Julie Noel, who died 11 February, 1843. Two of his most important pictures were those representing "Captive Christians" and "St. Boniface", for the church of La Chapelle; but for the same building he carried out no less than fourteen pictures representing the Passion of Christ and these were exhibited in 1847 and gained for him the Orrler of Leopold. His best- known picture perhaps is entitled " L'.\bondance", a replica of which the artist was employed to make for the Prince Consort of Englaml, according to the in- structions of Loui.se Marie, Queen of the Belgians. He was intensely interestecl in the subject of mural decoration, and studied every variety of it very closely, preparing a long essay on the subject and a series of paintings representing the Beatitudes, in order to exemplify his ideas in this direction. He also gave some attention to sculpture and to designing medal-

lions. He was a very devout man, true to his faith and to his friends, and very much respected by all who knew him. His pictures are marked by con- siderable religious feeling, grace, tenderness, and deli- cacy. (For further details, see a life of the artist published privately in Brussels by Emile van Aren- bergh, no date.)

George Charles Willi.\mson.

Eymard, Pierre-Julien, Venerable, founder of the Society of the Blessed Sacrament, and of the Serv- ants of the Blessed Sacrament, b. at La Mure d'Isere, Dioce-se of Grenoble, France, 4 Feb., 1811; d. there 1 .\ug., 1868. From early childhood he gave evidence of great holiness and most tender devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. In 1829, he entered the novitiate of the Oblates of Marj-, but illness compelled him to return home. .\t the age of twenty he entered the grand seminary of Grenoble, and was ordained priest 20 July, 1834. He returned to the Marist novitiate in 1839. In 1845 he was appointed Provincial of the Oblates of Mary. His entire spiritual life was centred round the Eucharist. It was the subject of his sermons and exhortations, the object of his worship and prayers. Those who fell under his spiritual direction were taught by his counsel to fix their attention on the Blessed Sacrament.

In January of 1851 Pere Eymard made a pil- grimage to the shrine of Our Lady of Fourvieres, and there promised Marj' to devote his life to founding a congregation of priests who.se principal duty should be to honour the Blessed Sacrament. Having ob- tained the necessary ecclesiastical permission, he pro- cured a small house in Paris, in which he and his single companion took up their abode. Here, on 6 Jan., 1857, the Blessed Sacrament was exposed, and the nascent community of two members commenced the adora- tion of the Blessed Sacrament as prescribed by their rule. Their founder received his first encouragement for the work in a laudatory Brief, blessing the work and its author, and signed by Pius IX, in 1857. Five years after, in 1862, Pere Eymard had enough spiritual sons to open a regular novitiate. From this date the congregation spread rapidly, until now its houses may be found in Rome, Belgium, Holland, Spain. Canada, the LTnited States, and South America. The Serv- ants of the Blessed Sacrament, a congregation of cloistered women who carry on perpetual adoration in their convents, were also founded by him in 1858. The Priests' Eucharistic League and the Archcon- fraternity of the Blessed Sacrament are evidences of his zeal among priests and the faithful. Pere Eymard 's writings have been collected, and form four volumes: "The Real Presence", which has been translated into English; "Retreat at the Feet of Jesus Eucharistic", "La Sainte Communion", and "L'Eucharistie et la Perfection Chretienne". These writings have received the approbation of the Holy See. The author was declared Venerable, 11 August, 1908, and the process for Pere Eymard's beatification is now in progress.

Herbert, The Priest of the Eucharist (London, 1S9S); Teriillon, Le Reverend Pire Pierre Julien Eymard: Docu- ments sur sa vie et ses vertus (Rome, 1899); Tesniere, Le Pretre de V Eucharistic.

A. Letellier.

Eymeric, Nicgl.vs, theologian and inquisitor, b. at Gerona, in Catalonia, Spain, c. 1320; d. there 4 Jan., 1399. He entered the Dominican Order at an early age, receiving the habit 4 Aug., 13-34, from the hands of Prior Petrus Carpi, and soon won a reputation for theological knowleclge. His earliest writings, which date from 1351, were of a philosophical character. Nicola Roselli, the grand inquisitor of Aragon, having been raised to the rank of a cardinal (1356), Eymeric w:is appointed his succe.s.sor in the Inquisition early in 1357. The zeal he displaj'ed in his new office roused much opposition and even open enmity. In spite of