Notname

Notnamen Behelfsnamen are used mainly in the history of art of antiquity and the Middle Ages. Artists and artisans of these epochs signed their works mostly not with names or initials. However, by the award of a Notnamens to be recognized by style comparison catalog of works can a sculptor, engraver, painter, vase painter or any other " masters" have become particularly associated with and tried the otherwise to give only as anonymous to seeing artists an individual's personality and his independent masterful craftsmanship recognize.

Naming

Notnamen denote the artist or craftsman as master and continue with an epithet, an Artist's individualizing and characterizing suffix.

The addition appoint him to a typical main work, the presumed site of his activity, origin or an eye-catching recurring design detail of his work. Examples are the master of playing cards or the Cologne Master of the Life of Mary, the Master of Großgmain, the Naumburg Master or the Master Elmelunde and Nelkenmeister or master of bordierten garland. Also, there are Notnamen who call an artist by the client, a former owner or today's repository of his works, such as the Bedford Master, Master of the Morrison Triptych or Master of the Berlin Passion. Sometimes the detectable Year of a plant for the design of a name as champion of 1446 was used.

If by an unnamed artist on his work, the initials are at least to find, he is usually referred to as Monogrammist, for example Monogrammist AT.

In the area of ancient Greek vase paintings, where only relatively few works are signed, most Notnamen go back to the formative expert in this art, Sir John D. Beazley. Beazley named after important vase painters pieces (so-called name vases ) and their storage location ( for example, painters Yale lekythos, Berlin painter ), but also by characteristic image issues (eg, Achilles Painter ). In places, he allowed himself an ironic names, such as the Worst Painter ( German worst painter) or the YZ group for the painters of the latest, high- sloping Attic shells ( after the last letter of the alphabet, also a pun: YZ = English way- zed = Why that?, German ' Why? '). A particularly common form of Notnamens goes in Attic vase painting emerge from signatures that do not call the vase painter, but the potter or owner of the workshop. We are talking about the painter of the signed by the potter Kleophrades vessels as Kleophrades painter.

Masters as art historical term

The art historical language used for about 150 years, the term master to form a Notnamens. This term was employed here very ambivalent. In some cases, it was synonymous with the painter, sculptor and engraver of a single, often significant work, such as the Master of Tahull, in others there is a significantly high -evaluated assessment of that person and their work as more works are grouped around a major work.

A Notname, can not constitute a hierarchy of value that brings subordinate terms such as workshop, students, perimeter or successor. Thus, an anonymous image of the Italian Baroque a Neapolitan School, the Master of the Acquavella Still Life, the environment or the successor of Caravaggio be attributed, in each of which an evaluation of its quality, and the workmanship of his painter can be seen.

Even if a Notname the artist seems to emphasize as masterly to make identification of the Master is not detected as a workshop- style senior or influential or innovative personality doubt. There are known cases to the contrary, where a workshop manager no longer manufacturer but only director or guarantor were the quality of the preparation, in which the work was entirely in the hands of employees. The qualitative rating is often difficult to justify, but not entirely without reason, and must continue to be discussed. The Notnamen need to be examined in this regard on the individual case.

Attention is also. Upon the diversity of the described master - concept in the understanding of various European art historical research traditions Also, different spellings for the same Notnamen ( national and international) arising partly grammatically other statements to evaluate the artist. For example, the Bedford Master, Master of the Duke of Bedford or Master of Bedford. First Notname refers (correctly) on the eponymous work ( Bedford Hours ) or the place of storage. Second Notname speaks more about a patron or employer, the Duke of Bedford. Third Notname misled (falsely ) to believe that the artist in Bedford was resident ( but presumably he worked in Paris ).

Notnamen as an instrument of art history

Terms of Notnamens

Notnamen are -passed instrument, but also an obstacle and burden of the art-historical work. They serve as a tool to explore the person of an artist. However, all Notnamen are not clearly recognized really characterizing or general. As a master of Saint Clare different painters could be described not only because of the translated from the Italian name, and in 1473 painted both a Westphalian champion of 1473 and in Bruges Master of 1473 images that are of importance to art history. It also remains sometimes controversial which major work is to give a Master 's name. However, the use of a Notnamens as Master of the Karlsruhe Passion in contrast to the mere designation as Upper Rhenish painter for the structuring of research and interpretation recognized aids.

Subsequent identification

Sometimes, after the award and acceptance of Notnamens through study of documents such as guild rolls a city or work contracts of a church or a monastery, where work and a name are called, then a detectable proper names are assigned to the master. Sometimes contemporary artists ' biographies can be found, as recorded by Vasari, Lives of painters, which give clues to the identification of a master, for example, when the apprentices a workshop are listed. The first, known as the Copenhagen Painter antique vase painter is identified, for example, with the potter Pistoxenos known by name. Called the master of the entry of Christ medieval sculptors from Münster was identified as Heinrich Brabender and a long as a master of locust altar in Osnabrück known stone and wood sculptor from the Late Gothic cathedral was finally determined in 1987 as Evert van Roden.

Methodological issues

Often Notnamen were created at different times and in different places, who call now known to one and the same person. This is for example the Master of the Joseph Legend and the Master of Afflighem the case, which today are usually summarized as a champion of 1518. For the latter, were found below sources that make an identification with the Antwerp painter Jan van Dornicke seem plausible. It is evident that the old Notnamen would therefore obsolete today. An example from the field of vase painting is the painter known by name Aeson, which has already been tentatively identified with the Meidias painter. To ensure connectivity of recent research on the older literature, it is not always possible to completely neglect or alter content.

Apart from the problem of updates but face up to fundamental methodological questions about the sustainability of such assignments: On the one hand, the choice of a work as a starting point for the definition of an artist to be grouped around the then other works tend to arbitrary: it would lead to other assignments, when other ' masterpieces ' would take to the starting point? Second, the definition of an artist only one that leads to the works, which are only assigned by this definition, not beyond themselves and thus in a tautology.

Development through art historical research

It is also likely that existing Notnamen future must also be " split ". It will prove to be very likely that works, for example, with the participation of various painters can not permanently operate only under an old Notnamen. This view is strongly influenced by the recognition of the qualitative component (see above). Assuming that unprocessed plants are found, it could be that one is previously set as a journeyman respected painter in the qualitative judgment rather in the status of a cooperating master. It would thus be entitled to assign him a new Notnamen if it could be described individualstilistisch. The usefulness of new Notnamen can, however, be regarded as very questionable.

List of Notnamen and monogramist

A list of Notnamen and monogramist from European Medieval and Renaissance can be found in the

• List of Notnamen or
• List of monogramist

Next the Notnamen of North American painters of modern times are conducted under Limner.

Unnamed artists of antiquity found in the

• List of ancient artists