Master I. A. M. of Zwolle

Johan van den Mynnesten ( become famous as Meester van Zwolle, also known as Joannes Schuttorpe or John of the Minnesten ) (* 1425 in Schüttorf, † 1504 in Zwolle ) was a German - Dutch painter and engraver.

Life

Johan van den Mynnesten was born in 1425 in Schüttorf. At the age of 13, he left the town and wandered along the Vecht River downstream to Zwolle in the Netherlands. There was a famous art school where he could study free of charge. However, in return for study, board and lodging he had to copy books four hours a day. How long he remained in Zwolle, has not been established; but after some years he moved to the south, leaving traces in Flanders, Westphalia, Cologne and Florence. In his travels, he learned the art of painting and engraving at major European artists. Among his most famous teachers is part of the Flemish master Rogier van der Weyden.

After completing his apprenticeship, he moved back to the Hanseatic city of Zwolle, where he received the 1462 Civil Rights. Here he soon became one of the most sought-after artist and respected citizens. In 1423 started and surviving registrum civium ( Civil Code) of the city he is led as Magister Johannes van den pictor nuncupatus Mynnesten. He received many profitable orders; however he still broke three times on long hikes on across Europe; on his travels he met, among others, Hugo van der Goes and Albrecht Dürer. He also was on the road again and again worked as a diplomat of the city of Zwolle and concerned letters to the Hanseatic city of Gdansk.

Had Johan van den Mynnesten with his wife Eefse that could be later divorced him five children. His sons were named John, who acted later with building materials and Bentheim sandstone imported and Rogier, who learned the craft of goldsmith. A daughter married Ghert ter Borch the Elder, who was master of the Church of Our Lady Church in Zwolle.

Towards the end of his life it was van den Mynnesten financially worse off, so he had to sell his house. Yet he remained until his death in 1504, a respected citizen of the town.

Work

Are attributed as safe Johan van den Mynnesten 26 stitches hanging in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and the Graphic Collection Albertina in Vienna, the Museum Boijmans van Beuningen in Rotterdam, in the Hamburger Kunsthalle, in the Museum of Boston and the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.

His main client was always the city of Zwolle. 1462 he painted figures on the pediment of the municipal school. It was followed by numerous other jobs, including frescoes of the great church, pictures of the house wine and the wine cellar of the town house and ornaments for the vault of the town hall. All these works no longer exist, only in the great church there are still some fragments of his frescoes. A fresco has, however, in the church of Hasselt, about eight miles from Zwolle, received; it shows a self-portrait of the artist.