(b ?Bouvignes or Dinant, active first half of 16th century). Netherlandish painter of landscapes with figures. He is an enigmatic artist, presumed to be one and the same as the Herri de Patinir who became a member of the Antwerp painters' guild in 1535. As van Mander informs us, ‘Herri met de Bles’ is simply a nickname meaning ‘Herri with the white forelock’, and it is generally assumed that he was a relation of Joachim Patinir, who certainly had a decisive influence on his work. No signed or documented work by Herri exists, but a small group of distinctive paintings has been ascribed to him, characterized by panoramic landscapes dominating the figure groups in the manner of Patinir. His work was popular with Italian collectors, who called him ‘Civetta’ (little owl) because he often included an owl in his pictures.