Lionizing Jan van Leeuwen († 1378): The ‘Good Cook’ of Groenendaal in Iconography and Hagiography

This contribution provides the first comprehensive overview of extant iconography Jan van Leeuwen († 1378), ‘Good Cook’ at hermitage and later priory Groenendaal in Sonian Forest outside Brussels. On basis a detailed analysis 8 pictorial representations Jan, this article argues that canons instigated Jan’s veneration almost immediately after his death selected three central foci for veneration: demanding active life as cook monastery, constant contemplation God was not interrupted by life, authorship divinely inspired mystical treatises. The these prominent elements hagiographical texts influenced earliest known iconographic which attempted to visualize aspects holiness. shows how sources had profound impact on all writings until end eighteenth century, when hagiographic traditions appear have ended. although has never officially been canonized depictions are numerous, they were persistent through time limited geographically or even Low Countries.