The masters of this school of ornamentation were numerous. Hitherto Flanders has overshadowed the Northern Provinces of the Netherlands in art products; but beginning with De Vries, Holland assumes equal importance. Peter Soutman (Haarlem 1580-1650), was a pupil of Rubens; William Buytenweg worked at Rotterdam; Adrian Muntink was famous in Groningen (circ. 1610); other goldsmiths and engravers, named Laurens, Janss Micker, Geraert van Ryssen, Meinert, Gelis, Jacobus van der Tverff, Gerritz Hessel (Amsterdam), Abraham Hecker (Amsterdam), Hendrick de Keyser (Amsterdam), Jacobus Collan (Rotterdam), and Arnold Houbraken (Dordrecht), all flourished during the first half of the seventeenth century. Their motives of garlands, fruits, flowers, human and animal figures, birds, insects, etc., were used in the decoration of sumptuous, carved furniture, and for marquetry and mosaics, as well as for the gold and silver ware of which the nobles and rich merchants were so fond.

Plate XXXIII. - Chairs. RIJKS MUSEUM, AMSTERDAM.

Other masters of ornament of the Netherlands of this period, whose works have survived, are Martin van Buten (circ. 1607), Franz Aspruck (circ. 1601), Jacques de Gheyn (circ. 1610), J. B. Barbe (b. 1585), Blondus (1590-1656), Raphael Custode, Michel van Lochon, Henderick Lodeweycke (circ. 1626), Andre Pauli (circ. 1628).

Following the above, when the style Rubens was giving way to the Decadence, we find Michel Natalis (1609-80), Arthus Quellen (b. 1609), Jacob van Cam-pen (circ. 1660), Peter van den Avont (b. 1619), James Collan (circ. 1650), Arnold Houbraken (d. 1660), L. Hen-dericks (circ. 1660), Romanus de Hooghe (1638-1718), Gaspard Bouttats, (1640-1703), J. J. Falkema (circ. 1680), Isaac Moucheron (1660-1744), Antony de Winter (circ. 1690), Peter Paul Bouche (circ. 1693), J. Thuys (circ. 1690), J. and F. Harrewyn (circ. 1694), Heinrich van Bein (1689-98), and G. Vischer, Erasmus Kamyn, P. Schentz and M. Heylbrouck, who all worked at the close of the century.

The most extraordinary style of ornamentation employed by the masters of Decorative Art during the seventeenth century is that known as the genre auri-culaire. In this, every part of the human ear is used as a decorative motive. The outer rim and lobe had been used long before it was carried to excess. A very early example is shown in the bed dated 1580 on Plate XI where auricular curves are plainly recognizable in the carving.

In the "Buire" (Plate XLVI) by Mosyn, however, this style is seen in its most exaggerated form. This design is by M. Mosyn, an engraver, born at Amsterdam about 1630. His chandeliers are equally extravagant. Peter Nolpe, born at the Hague (1601-70), was another designer of this school, as was also John Lutma of Amsterdam (1609-89). The latter represents the very decadence of art, with his hideous cartouches, compartments, frames and aiguieres, composed of distorted and tortured ears. Another master of Amsterdam who published many plates in the same extraordinary taste was Gerbrandt van der Eeckhout. He also worked in the middle of this century. This style attained its greatest vogue in Germany. There Friederich Unteutsch, a master carpenter of Frankfort, published (1650) no plates of all kinds of furniture, on which the ear is prominent as an ornament. Daniel Rabel (d. 1637), also used the genre auriculaire in France, but there its life was short and feeble.