Master of Ambrass
Encyclopedia
The Master of Ambrass was a Bohemia
n painter active probably in Prague
at the end of the fourteenth century. He was the creator of the Wiener Musterbuch, a set of silverpoint
studies and subjects all dated to the same period, which were used as models in painters' studio
s. Among the subjects are bust-length images of Christ, the Virgin, various saints, the Crucifixion
, and the Annunciation
. The pictures are collected in groups of four, affixed to fourteen small framed panels. Three independent designs also exist, depicting a philosopher and astronomer
, a sybil
and John the Evangelist
, and the Three Magi; these, too, were probably part of the set. Such is the realism of the designs that it is believed the Master had contact with an artist of the Franco
-Flemish
school. Also attributed to his hand, dubiously, is an Annunciation at the Fogg Art Museum
in Cambridge, Massachusetts
.
Stylistically, the Master's work bears some similarities to that of the Master of the Pähl Altarpiece. He is sometimes conflated with both the Master of the Gerona Martyrology
and the Master of the Rajhrad Altarpiece
, but this attribution is not universally accepted.
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
n painter active probably in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
at the end of the fourteenth century. He was the creator of the Wiener Musterbuch, a set of silverpoint
Silverpoint
Silverpoint is a traditional drawing technique first used by Medieval scribes on manuscripts.-History:A silverpoint drawing is made by dragging a silver rod or wire across a surface, often prepared with gesso or primer. Silverpoint is one of several types of metalpoint used by scribes, craftsmen...
studies and subjects all dated to the same period, which were used as models in painters' studio
Studio
A studio is an artist's or worker's workroom, or the catchall term for an artist and his or her employees who work within that studio. This can be for the purpose of architecture, painting, pottery , sculpture, scrapbooking, photography, graphic design, filmmaking, animation, radio or television...
s. Among the subjects are bust-length images of Christ, the Virgin, various saints, the Crucifixion
Crucifixion
Crucifixion is an ancient method of painful execution in which the condemned person is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross and left to hang until dead...
, and the Annunciation
Annunciation
The Annunciation, also referred to as the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary or Annunciation of the Lord, is the Christian celebration of the announcement by the angel Gabriel to Virgin Mary, that she would conceive and become the mother of Jesus the Son of God. Gabriel told Mary to name her...
. The pictures are collected in groups of four, affixed to fourteen small framed panels. Three independent designs also exist, depicting a philosopher and astronomer
Astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist who studies celestial bodies such as planets, stars and galaxies.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using...
, a sybil
Sybil
In antiquity, the oracular seeresses of the Ancient Near East and the Mediterranean were referred to by the Greek term "sibyls". In modern times, when "Sibyl" is adopted for a woman's name, the conventional spelling is "Sybil".-People:...
and John the Evangelist
John the Evangelist
Saint John the Evangelist is the conventional name for the author of the Gospel of John...
, and the Three Magi; these, too, were probably part of the set. Such is the realism of the designs that it is believed the Master had contact with an artist of the Franco
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
-Flemish
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
school. Also attributed to his hand, dubiously, is an Annunciation at the Fogg Art Museum
Fogg Art Museum
The Fogg Museum, opened to the public in 1896, is the oldest of Harvard University's art museums. The Fogg joins the Busch-Reisinger Museum and the Arthur M. Sackler Museum as part of the Harvard Art Museums....
in Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
.
Stylistically, the Master's work bears some similarities to that of the Master of the Pähl Altarpiece. He is sometimes conflated with both the Master of the Gerona Martyrology
Master of the Gerona Martyrology
The Master of the Gerona Martyrology was a Bohemian painter active at the end of the fourteenth century. His output is fairly poorly known; some historians have conflated him with either the Master of Ambrass or the Master of the Rajhrad Altarpiece...
and the Master of the Rajhrad Altarpiece
Master of the Rajhrad Altarpiece
The Master of the Rajhrad Altarpiece was a Bohemian painter active in the region around Olomouc and Brno before 1420. Likely of Moravian extraction, he derives his name from an altarpiece that once hung in the church of Saint Maurice in Olomouc; since disassembled, some of its panels are now in...
, but this attribution is not universally accepted.