Do you know the work of the Master of the View of Saint Gudula, the Master of the Princely Portraits, or the Master of the Life of Joseph (also called the Master of Affligem)? How about the Master of Orsoy, the Master of the Saint Barbara Legend, or the Master of the Redemption of the Prado (possibly Vrancke van der Stockt)?
Probably not, but maybe you know Colyn de Coter? The Master of the Saint Catherine Legend the Master of the Embroidered Foliage? These three, at least, have been studied.
But now more of these (mostly) unidentified painters, who worked in Brussels between 1450 and 1520, all in the shadow of Rogier van der Weyden, are coming to light. They are the subject of an exhibition I wish I could see that is now on view at the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium. It’s main title is The Heritage of Rogier van der Weyden. According to the press release,
At that moment Brussels was a thriving town, the Coudenberg Palace being the favourite residence of the dukes of Burgundy. It was surrounded by the palaces of courtiers and noble families like the Nassau or the Ravenstein. They were all important patrons of the arts.
Building on the results of the recent research and the existing studies the exhibition presents an overall picture of painting in Brussels at the late 15th and first years of the 16th centuries, tackling the subject from various viewpoints, historical, iconographic, stylistic, technical, economic and in terms of work organisation and exact copying.
Dr. Griet Steyaert has been researching these painters, trying to answer questions (denoted in that press release) and one result is this exhibition.
Among the works on display, a few of which you can see here, is The Presentation in the Temple by the Master of the Prado Adoration, at left, which is in the collection of the National Gallery of Art, a gift of the Samuel Kress Foundation.
The British papers have failed us, surprisingly — I couldn’t find a review of the show, which opened on Oct. 11. But I did find something in Studio International, which said:
The Heritage of Rogier van der Weyden is worth a visit, perhaps even two. The exhibition is set within the large, high-quality collection of the Royal Museum and offers a view of visual culture in Brussels in the 15th and 16th centuries as well as showing the rich historical context in which artists were employed, by elaborating on the patronage of, among others, the Dukes of Burgundy then residing at the Coudenberg Palace. The research is sound, the lighting perfect, the space allows generous viewing opportunities, and who knows, this exhibition may momentarily reunite Belgians from north and south.
That last link also has a slide show, which I am sure you will enjoy.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of the National Gallery of Art