Cloister, near Brussels, as a lay brother in 1475 and, in the
same year, produced his master work, the PORTINARI AL-
TARPIECE(see Plate VI). Subsequent works from this pe-
riod, such as two panels probably designed as organ
shutters (1478–79; National Gallery of Scotland, Edin-
burgh) and the Death of the Virgin (c. 1480; Musée Com-
munal, Bruges) demonstrate Hugo’s skill as a draftsman
and are characterized by a sense of religious intensity. In
his last years Hugo became increasingly depressive, at-
tempting suicide in 1481 and dying insane the following
year.
Góis, Damião de (1502–1574) Portuguese humanist and
chronicler
A member of a noble family, Góis was born at Alenquer
and grew up at the court of King Manuel (I) the Fortunate.
Manuel’s son and successor, John III, appointed him sec-
retary to a Portuguese factory in Antwerp (1523), and he
later traveled widely on a number of missions as a gov-
ernment servant. In 1533 he resigned his post to devote
his time to study, in which he was advised by his friend
ERASMUS. In Padua (1534–38) he met Pietro BEMBO. After
marrying Johanna van Hargen, a Dutch noblewoman, he
lived for six years in Louvain. He became keeper of the
Portuguese national archive in Lisbon in 1548 and in 1558
was appointed official court chronicler. Towards the end
of his life, Góis was imprisoned by the Inquisition and de-
serted by his family. He probably died at his family estate
at Alenquer, a few miles north of Lisbon. His most impor-
tant works, written in both Portuguese and Latin, are the
chronicles of Manuel I and John III: Crónica do felicíssimo
rei Dom Emanuel (four parts; 1566–67) and Crónica do
príncipe Dom João (1567). He also wrote a Latin treatise on
the religion and customs of Ethiopia (1540).
Golden Fleece, Order of the (French La Toison d’Or)
The chivalric order founded at Bruges (1430) by PHILIP
THE GOODof Burgundy and pledged to uphold chivalry
and the Catholic religion. The dukes of Burgundy served
as grand masters and presided over the chapters, settling
disputes between member knights, who had the right to
trial by their peers on charges of heresy, treason, and re-
bellion. By the marriage (1477) of Mary of Burgundy,
daughter of Duke CHARLES THE BOLD, to Maximilian (later
Emperor MAXIMILIAN I) the grand mastership passed to the
house of HAPSBURG.
Goltzius, Hendrick (1558–1618) Dutch print maker and
painter
Goltzius was born at Mulbrecht and studied under his fa-
ther, Jan Goltz II, and with Dirck Volckertsz. COORNHEERT.
At Haarlem he was influenced by Bartholomäus SPRANGER.
His chiaroscuro woodcut of Proserpine, an agitated man-
nerist conception, is typical of his early style. He was a vir-
tuoso engraver, and his skill with the burin is exemplified
by his famous print of the Standard Bearer. After a visit to
Rome (1590) Goltzius adopted a more classical style. It
was Goltzius’s technical skill that most impressed his con-
temporaries. Van MANDERpraised his ability to reproduce
the styles of other artists, including Dürer, Lucas van Ley-
den, Raphael, and Parmigianino. Each of his six engrav-
ings of the Life of the Virgin is an expert imitation of a
different artist’s style. Goltzius also produced numerous
drawings, including life-size works, such as the Venus,
Ceres, and Bacchus with a Self-Portrait (St. Petersburg). His
paintings, however, lack the immediacy of his graphic
work. Goltzius’s wit and audacity reflects contemporary
MANNERISMand his technical mastery the northern tradi-
tion. His naturalistic studies hint at the future of 17th-
century Dutch art.
Further reading: Stephen H. Goddard et al, Goltzius
and the Third Dimension (Williamstown, Mass.: Clark Art
Institute, 2001); Huigen Leeflang et al, Hendrick Grotius
1558–1617: Drawings, Prints and Paintings (Amsterdam,
Netherlands: Rijksmuseum, 2003).Gomarists The extreme Calvinists in early 17th-century
Holland, who took their name from their leader Francis
Gomar (1563–1641), the principal opponent of ARMINI-
ANISM.
See also: DORT, SYNOD OFGonçalves, Nuño (mid-15th century) Portuguese painter
Little is known of his life and work apart from the account
of FRANCISCO DA HOLLANDA, who ranked him with the
great Italian masters. He was court painter (c. 1450–71) to
Afonso V. Almost all his work perished in the 1755 Lisbon
earthquake, but panels of an altarpiece discovered in 1882
in the convent of San Vicente, Lisbon, have been confi-
dently ascribed to him. Depicting St. Vincent (patron saint
of Portugal) surrounded by the Portuguese royal family,
courtiers, and clergy, the panels show strong Flemish and
Burgundian influence.gonfaloniere The official responsible for a district of an
Italian city. In Florence the title was attached to the chief
member of the council of magistrates. The word derives
from gonfalone (military banner), which, by extension,
also came to mean a subdivision of a city with its own sec-
tion of militia.Góngora y Argote, Luis de (1561–1627) Spanish poet
Born into a prominent and cultured family at Cordova,
Góngora appears to have been a precocious child. He at-
tended Salamanca university but took no degree. As a
young man, he was given to gambling, love affairs and,
from about age 20, verse writing. In 1585 he became a
deacon and prebendary at the cathedral of Cordova, a post
that he held until 1611, traveling widely on missions for
the chapter. In 1589 12 of his romances (ballads) appearedGGo o ́ ́nnggoorraa yy AArrggoottee,, LLuuiiss ddee 2 21177