Floris, Cornelis

(original surname, de Vriend). Born circa 1514 in Antwerp; died there Oct. 20, 1575. Flemish architect and sculptor.

Floris worked primarily in Antwerp. He lived in Rome from 1540 to 1544. Floris’s works, for example, the town hall in Antwerp and the rood screen in the Tournai cathedral, are among the most noteworthy examples of Late Renaissance architecture in the Low Countries. Developing classical Roman grotesque motifs, Floris created a style of ornamentation similar to mannerism, featuring magnificent compositions of cartouches, masks, and garlands of fruit. His style exerted a considerable influence on European decorative art of the second half of the 16th century.