Tuscan format of the Trecento, but is innovative in its jux-
taposition of half-length figures against a landscape back-
ground—an idea subsequently adopted in the portraits of
MEMLINGand others. His last work is probably the St.
Columba altarpiece in Munich, which is remarkable for its
formal and coloristic harmony.
In addition to religious works, Rogier painted numer-
ous portraits in which he developed a new mode of
aristocratic likeness by subjectively manipulating the
appearance of his sitters. Rogier’s numerous exported
works and his large atelier, which even attracted students
from Italy, broadcast his style throughout Europe, mak-
ing him the most influential northern painter of the 15th
century.
Further reading: Dirk de Vos, Rogier van der Weyden:
The Complete Works (Antwerp, Belgium: Mercatorfonds,
1999).
White Mountain, battle of the (1620) An important
Catholic victory early in the Thirty Years’ War. Following
the election of the Calvinist WINTER KING, Frederick V,
Elector Palatine, to the Bohemian throne, Emperor Ferdi-
nand II promised to give Bohemia to Maximilian of
Bavaria if he drove out the Calvinists. The Calvinists, led
by Christian of Anhalt, met the imperial forces under
Maximilian at the White Mountain near Prague. The deci-
sive imperial victory led to Frederick’s expulsion from Bo-
hemia (1620) and then from the Palatinate (1623). It was
followed by harsh Catholic retribution in Bohemia. The
scale of the victory brought a number of Protestant pow-
ers into the war against the Hapsburgs.
Wickram, Jörg (1505–c. 1560) German novelist and
dramatist
The illegitimate son of a municipal official, Wickram him-
self became an official in his native Colmar and later town
clerk of Burgheim. Wickram, who was a Meistersinger,
founded a school of MEISTERGESANGin Colmar in 1549.
He was influential in the development of the German
novel out of the medieval chivalric romance; the chivalric
roots are still clear in, for example, his Ritter Galmy uss
Schottland (“Sir Galmy from Scotland”; 1539). Gradually,
however, the world and values of the knight are replaced
by those of peasant and burgher in his work, which be-
comes increasingly didactic and moralizing, as in Der Jun-
gen Knaben Spiegel (1554). Wickram’s most popular work
was his Rollwagenbüchlin (“Stagecoach Booklet”; 1555), a
collection of anecdotes and SCHWÄNKE(a popular literary
form then), intended as entertainment for travelers and
lacking all didacticism. Wickram’s plays are largely Fast-
nachtspiele (comic Shrovetide plays) and biblical trag-
edies, such as Tobias (1550).
Wiericx, Anthonie (c. 1552–1624), Hieronymus (c.
1553–1619), and Johan (c. 1549–1615) Netherlands
engravers
Born in Antwerp and trained by their painter father, also
named Anthonie, the brothers were child prodigies, as is
indicated by their ages (prefixed aet), which appear on
their line engravings. Johan’s copies of Marcantonio RAI-
MONDI’s Venus and Cupid and DÜRER’SFall of Man date from
when he was, respectively, 14 and 16 years old. Hierony-
mus executed copies of Dürer’s St. George and St. Jerome
when he was, respectively, only 12 and 13. It should be
stressed that these copies are, probably, the best in exis-
tence, following the originals virtually line for line. Given
the remarkable sophistication of Dürer’s engraved tech-
nique, the quality of the Wiericx brothers’ copies reveals
astonishing technical virtuosity. The brothers produced
more than 2000 prints, many of which were small devo-
tional works of a type popularized by the Jesuits in their
campaign against the Protestant reformers. Although the
Wiericx workshop also produced the brothers’ own de-
signs, the early copies after Dürer may be counted as its
finest achievement.Wilbye, John (1574–1638) English composer
Born at Diss, Norfolk, Wilbye worked from 1598 for the
Kytson family at Hengrave Hall near Bury St. Edmunds,
where he remained for 28 years. In 1628, on the death of
Lady Elizabeth Kytson, he moved to Colchester. Influ-
enced by Thomas MORLEY and Alfonso FERRABOSCO,
Wilbye is one of the finest English madrigalists. He pub-
lished only two books of madrigals (1597, 1609), but the
second is generally regarded as one of the greatest English
MADRIGALcollections. It contains arguably the finest of
Wilbye’s madrigals, “Draw on sweet Night,” in which
major and minor tonalities are used to depict intense
melancholy.Willaert, Adrian (c. 1490–1562) Flemish composer
Probably born in Bruges, Willaert studied music with Jean
Mouton (c. 1459–1522) in Paris. From 1515 he was em-
ployed as a singer in the household of Cardinal Ippolito
d’Este in Ferrara, traveling widely with him and spending
two years in Hungary. On the cardinal’s death (1520)
Willaert transferred to the service of Duke Alfonso I
d’Este. In 1527 he was appointed maestro at St. Mark’s,
Venice, where he remained until his death. Here he
presided over a flourishing musical scene. His pupils in-
cluded important composers, such as Ciprien de RORE,
Nicola VICENTINO, and Andrea GABRIELI, and he is re-
garded as a major figure in the development of Italian
music.
Willaert was a most prolific and versatile composer;
he published a great deal of church music, many madri-
gals, chansons, villanelles, and a few instrumental pieces.
His Salmi spezzati (1550) contains music for double55002 2 WWhhiittee MMoouunnttaaiinn,, bbaattttllee ooff tthhee