Born around 1485 as Joos van der Beke, he likely became known as Joos van Cleve after his presumed birthplace of Cleves (Kleve), in present-day Germany. In 1511 he was admitted to Antwerp's Guild of Saint Luke, reflecting his prominence within the city's thriving artistic community. Though there is limited documentation on the artist’s life, he is believed to have travelled to the French court, where he executed portraits for King Francis I.
Van Cleve's paintings are distinguished by their elaborate detail and luminous compositions, with his altarpieces being particularly renowned for their vivid use of colour. Works such as The Madonna of the Cherries (c. 1525) suggest the influence of Leonardo da Vinci and contemporary Italian art, though Van Cleve’s style remained firmly rooted in the precise observation and technical brilliance of Flemish painting. Equally accomplished as a portraitist and religious painter, he frequently revisited successful compositions through his workshop, satisfying the growing demand for images of the Virgin and Child, the Holy Family and Christ as Salvator Mundi. The artist died around 1540/1.
Van Cleve’s combination of Northern technical refinement and Italian-inspired elegance made him an importrant figure in early 16th-century Antwerp painting. Today, his masterpiece The Death of the Virgin (1520–1525) is housed in Alte Pinakothek in Munich, while London's National Gallery holds The Holy Family (c. 1525) by the workshop of Van Cleve.
JOOS VAN CLEVE (?CLEVE 1485-1540 ANTWERP)
Portrait of a gentleman holding gloves, half-length
JOOS VAN CLEVE (KLEEF 1485-1540 ANTWERP)
Portrait of a bearded man, bust-length
Joos van Cleve (?Cleve ?-1540/1 Antwerp)
Portrait of a young nobleman, small half-length, in a crimson doublet, wearing a plumed beret, holding a daisy
JOOS VAN CLEVE (KLEEF 1485-1540 ANTWERP)
Portrait of King Christian II of Denmark (1481-1559), small half-length, in a slashed doublet, wearing the Order of the Golden Fleece
Workshop of Joos van Cleve (?Cleve c. 1485-1540/1 Antwerp)
The Lamentation
CIRCLE OF JOOS VAN CLEVE (?CLEVE ?-1540/1 ANTWERP)
The wings of a triptych: Saint Catherine of Alexandria; and Saint Mary Magdalene
WORKSHOP OF JOOS VAN CLEVE (KLEEF 1485-1540 ANTWERP)
Portrait of a gentleman, bust-length, wearing a slashed black doublet, a black cloak lined with brown fur and a black cap
WORKSHOP OF JOOS VAN CLEVE (?CLEVE 1485-1540 ANTWERP)
The Holy Family
Circle of Joos van Cleve (?Cleve-1540/1 Antwerp)
Portrait of a gentleman, bust-length, in a black coat
Follower of Joos van Cleve, c. 1540-45
Madonna and Child with a rosary, seated before a landscape with The Flight to Egypt, a ledge with a roll of bread, a tin plate with strawberries, various nuts and a glass in the foreground
Workshop of Joos van Cleve (?Cleve ?-1540/1 Antwerp)
Salvator Mundi
FOLLOWER OF JOOS VAN CLEVE
The Madonna of the Cherries
CIRCLE OF JOOS VAN CLEVE (?CLEVE C. 1485-1540/1 ANTWERP)
Portrait of King Francis I of France, bust-length
Follower of Joos van Cleve
The Holy Virgin and Child
Circle of Joos van Cleve (?Cleve c. 1485-1540/1 Antwerp)
An Allegory of Death
Circle of Joos van Cleve (?Cleve ?-1540/1 Antwerp)
The Virgin and Child
CIRCLE OF JOOS VAN CLEVE (CLEVES C. 1485-1540 ANTWERP)
The Holy Family
Follower of Joos van Cleve (Cleve 1485-1540/41 Antwerp)
The Crucifixion
Follower of Joos van Cleve
The Holy Family
Flemish School, c. 1520
A triptych: Noli me tangere, The Crucifixion and The Entombment
FOLLOWER OF JOOS VAN CLEVE
The Penitent Saint Jerome in his study
FOLLOWER OF JOOS VAN CLEVE
The Madonna of the Cherries
Antwerp School, c. 1530
The Virgin Lactans with Joseph and four Angels
After Joos van Cleve
The Virgin and Child
ÉCOLE FLAMANDE DU XVIe SIÈCLE, ENTOURAGE DE JOOS VAN CLEVE
Allégorie de la Mort
Follower of Joos van Cleve
The Virgin and Child
Follower of Joos van Cleve
The Virgin and Child
Manner of Joos van Cleve
The Virgin and Child
Circle of Joos van Cleve (c. 1485-1540/1 Antwerp)
The Infant Christ, seated on a red velvet cushion, eating grapes
CIRCLE OF JOOS VAN CLEVE (KLEEF 1485-1540 ANTWERP)
An allegory of death