Master of the Gardens of Love
Encyclopedia
The Master of the Gardens of Love (fl. ca. 1430-1440/45) was a Netherlandish engraver
. One of the earliest practitioners of copper
engraving, his name is derived from a pair of depictions of Gardens of Love. He may have worked in the northern Netherlands
, around The Hague
. His surviving output is small; only about twenty-six engravings are attributed to his hand, and of these a handful are as yet unauthenticated. With a single exception, all are unique impressions. Their small format indicates that they may have been used as illustrations for manuscripts
, or possibly as models for miniature
s. The technique is crude, displaying strong outlines and heavy hatching, often cross-hatching. The figures are characterised by their angularity and stiffness.
Engraving
Engraving is the practice of incising a design on to a hard, usually flat surface, by cutting grooves into it. The result may be a decorated object in itself, as when silver, gold, steel, or glass are engraved, or may provide an intaglio printing plate, of copper or another metal, for printing...
. One of the earliest practitioners of copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
engraving, his name is derived from a pair of depictions of Gardens of Love. He may have worked in the northern Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, around The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
. His surviving output is small; only about twenty-six engravings are attributed to his hand, and of these a handful are as yet unauthenticated. With a single exception, all are unique impressions. Their small format indicates that they may have been used as illustrations for manuscripts
Illuminated manuscript
An illuminated manuscript is a manuscript in which the text is supplemented by the addition of decoration, such as decorated initials, borders and miniature illustrations...
, or possibly as models for miniature
Miniature (illuminated manuscript)
The word miniature, derived from the Latin minium, red lead, is a picture in an ancient or medieval illuminated manuscript; the simple decoration of the early codices having been miniated or delineated with that pigment...
s. The technique is crude, displaying strong outlines and heavy hatching, often cross-hatching. The figures are characterised by their angularity and stiffness.