Master of the Graudenz Altarpiece
Encyclopedia
The Master of the Graudenz Altarpiece was a Bohemia
n artist active at the end of the 14th and the beginning of the 15th century. His name is derived from an altarpiece which formerly hung in the castle
of the Teutonic Knights
in Graudenz, and which may now be seen in National Museum in Warsaw. Closed, the altarpiece depicts on the left, on two registers, the Noli me tangere and the resurrection
of the dead; on the right, Christ in Majesty and the Virgin and John the Apostle
. The wings show eight scenes from the Passion
, while inside are scenes from the Life of the Virgin
. At the center is an image of the Death
and Coronation of the Virgin
.
It seems probably that the Master worked on the altarpiece with the aid of another artist; he seems to have been responsible for the Coronation scenes himself, showing a debt to the Master of the Třeboň Altarpiece
in the process. The Passion cycle is likely by the hand of a painter from Lower Saxony
, from the circle of Master Bertram
.
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 artist active at the end of the 14th and the beginning of the 15th century. His name is derived from an altarpiece which formerly hung in the castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
of the Teutonic Knights
Teutonic Knights
The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem , commonly the Teutonic Order , is a German medieval military order, in modern times a purely religious Catholic order...
in Graudenz, and which may now be seen in National Museum in Warsaw. Closed, the altarpiece depicts on the left, on two registers, the Noli me tangere and the resurrection
Resurrection
Resurrection refers to the literal coming back to life of the biologically dead. It is used both with respect to particular individuals or the belief in a General Resurrection of the dead at the end of the world. The General Resurrection is featured prominently in Jewish, Christian, and Muslim...
of the dead; on the right, Christ in Majesty and the Virgin and John the Apostle
John the Apostle
John the Apostle, John the Apostle, John the Apostle, (Aramaic Yoħanna, (c. 6 - c. 100) was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He was the son of Zebedee and Salome, and brother of James, another of the Twelve Apostles...
. The wings show eight scenes from the Passion
Passion (Christianity)
The Passion is the Christian theological term used for the events and suffering – physical, spiritual, and mental – of Jesus in the hours before and including his trial and execution by crucifixion...
, while inside are scenes from the Life of the Virgin
Life of the Virgin
The Life of the Virgin, showing narrative scenes from the life of Mary, the mother of Jesus, is a common subject for pictorial cycles in Christian art, often complementing, or forming part of, a cycle on the Life of Christ. In both cases the number of scenes shown varies greatly with the space...
. At the center is an image of the Death
Death of the Virgin
The Death of the Virgin Mary is a common theme in Western Christian art, comparable to the Dormition in Eastern Orthodox art. It becomes less common as the doctrine of the Assumption gains support in the Roman Catholic Church from the late Middle Ages onwards...
and Coronation of the Virgin
Coronation of the Virgin
The Coronation of the Virgin or Coronation of Mary is a subject in Christian art, especially popular in Italy in the 13th to 15th centuries, but continuing in popularity until the 18th century and beyond. Christ, sometimes accompanied by God the Father and the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove,...
.
It seems probably that the Master worked on the altarpiece with the aid of another artist; he seems to have been responsible for the Coronation scenes himself, showing a debt to the Master of the Třeboň Altarpiece
Master of the Trebon Altarpiece
The Master of the Třeboň Altarpiece, sometimes called the Master of Wittingau, was a Bohemian painter active in Prague around 1380-1390. His name is derived from an altarpiece from the church of Saint Eligius at the Augustinian convent of Třeboň...
in the process. The Passion cycle is likely by the hand of a painter from Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...
, from the circle of Master Bertram
Master Bertram
Master Bertram , also known as Meister Bertram and Master of Minden, was a German International Gothic painter primarily of religious art. His most famous surviving work is the large Grabow Altarpiece in the Kunsthalle Hamburg, the largest and most important North German painting of the period...
.