Master of Affligem

The Master of the Joseph episode, also masters of the Joseph legend or master of the Abbey of Afflighem today was a name no longer known painter in the Southern Low school, which was 1490-1500, probably mainly in Brussels, works.

Life and work

About the origin and development of the Master of the Joseph episode is not known. Stylistically, he is the successor of Rogier van der Weyden. He received his Notnamen 1926 by Max J. Friedländerdl, who named him after a series of six surviving medallions with scenes from the life of Joseph, who is now in the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin ( Inv. No.: 539 A-D), in the Alte Pinakothek in Munich ( Inv. No.: 13189 ) and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York ( Inv. No.: 53 168 ) are located. The scope and the determination of this series is unknown, but it is generally assumed that there must have been many more panels, as some important stations are not shown from the life of Joseph in the well-known images.

He received his second Notnamen by a sequence of several panels with scenes from the Childhood and the Passion of Christ from the Benedictine Abbey in Afflighem that today in the Musée des Beaux -Arts Royaux in Brussels. In art history continued in the result but by the award of Friedlander Notname for the unknown painter.

Besides these two complexes of work a number of other works are assigned to him on stylistic grounds still that are not in their write-up but no disputing. These ascribed works - though perhaps with workshop participation - includes above all a triptych depicting the Last Judgment from the City Hall in Zierikzee, which today also in the Royal Museums of Fine Arts in Brussels ( Inv. No.: Middle panel: 4168, wing: 2405 and 2406 ) is located. Another possible work of the painter in 1903 the wings of the dated of 1490 the high altar in the cathedral of Strängnäs have been proposed with scenes from the Passion of Christ from childhood and Johnny Roosval. Highly controversial is an assignment of the known, preserved in the Vienna Kunsthistorisches Museum portrait of Philip the Fair ( Inv. No.: 3873 ), which is also assigned to the Master of the Magdalene Legend and the museum itself, the Juan de Flandes.

The identity of the artist, various proposals have been made. Maybe he can be, as suggested by Friedlander, as Jacques van Lathem, the court painter of Philip the Fair identify.

Works

• Berlin, Gemäldegalerie

• Brussels, Musée des Beaux -Arts Royaux

• Hannover, Lower Saxony State Museum

• Kreuzlingen, Collection Heinz Kisters

• Munich, Alte Pinakothek

• New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art