The Master of the Lille Adoration (active ), was an Early Netherlandish painter active in

Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,

, as one of the Antwerp Mannerists. He was first suggested as a distinct but unknown figure in 1995 in an article by Ellen Konowitz, a proposal which has been widely accepted. Master of the Lille Adoration
in the

RKD The Netherlands Institute for Art History or RKD (Dutch: RKD-Nederlands Instituut voor Kunstgeschiedenis), previously Rijksbureau voor Kunsthistorische Documentatie (RKD), is located in The Hague and is home to the largest art history center i ...

In 2014,

Christie's Christie's is a British auction house founded in 1766 by James Christie. Its main premises are on King Street, St James's in London, at Rockefeller Center in New York City and at Alexandra House in Hong Kong. It is owned by Groupe Artémi ...

gave his dates as "active Antwerp by c. 1523/35". Most of the works the new master has now been "given" were previously attributed to

Dirck Vellert Dirck Vellert (1480, Amsterdam – 1547, Antwerp), was a Flemish Renaissance painter. Biography According to the RKD he was a draughtsman, glass painter and engraver who made small devotional prints to put in albums.stained-glass maker of the day, on the assumption that he also painted. His

notname In art history, a ''Notname'' (, "necessity-name" or "contingency-name") is an invented name given to an artist whose identity has been lost. The practice arose from the need to give such artists and their typically untitled, or generically title ...

comes from the Adoration of the Shepherds in the Palais des Beaux-Arts de Lille, "as the painting which perhaps best demonstrates his individual style". Until 1995 this was attributed to Vellert, who was clearly an influence. As described by Konowicz, the master's works share the Antwerp Mannerists' "style characterized by an artificial elegance. Their paintings typically feature elongated figures posed in affected, twisting, postures, colorful ornate costumes, fluttering drapery, Italianate architecture decorated with grotesque ornament, and crowded groups of figures...". However, in both the master's works and Vellert's, the figures are in a different style "with a bulk and masculinity that is foreign to the slender, graceful figures" of the Mannerists. Differences between the master and Vellert include the paintings' "depiction of tensely gesturing hands, often with palms turned outward and the fingers splayed", as in the Lille and Rotterdam pictures, a "trademark". The paintings show a "predeliction" for "grotesque, contorted heads", as in the kneeling Magus in Rotterdam. Other traits are a liking for a low viewpoint, small pieces of ''

trompe-l'œil ''Trompe-l'œil'' ( , ; ) is an artistic term for the highly realistic optical illusion of three-dimensional space and objects on a two-dimensional surface. ''Trompe l'oeil'', which is most often associated with painting, tricks the viewer into ...

'', and elements projecting over a ledge, such as the kneeling shepherd's foot at Lille. He should not be confused with the contemporary Master of the Antwerp Adoration, another Antwerp Mannerist.

Emergence

During the 20th century, a number of paintings were attributed to Vellert.

Max Jakob Friedländer Max Jakob Friedländer (5 July 1867 in Berlin – 11 October 1958 in Amsterdam) was a German museum curator and art historian. He was a specialist in Early Netherlandish painting and the Northern Renaissance, who volunteered at the Kupferstichkab ...

in his ''Die Antwerpener Manieristen von 1520'' (1915), which introduced the term "Antwerp Mannerists", and later work with

Ludwig von Baldass Ludwig von Baldass (german: Ludwig von Baldaß; 1887–1963) was an Austrian art historian, professor and acclaimed author who specialised in Early Netherlandish painting.Palais des Beaux-Arts de Lille), the Rotterdam triptych (both illustrated here), a ''

Holy Kinship The Holy Kinship was the extended family of Jesus descended from his maternal grandmother Saint Anne from her ''trinubium'' or three marriages. The group were a popular subject in religious art throughout Germany and the Low Countries, especially ...

'' in the Stiftsgalerie in

Kremsmünster Kremsmünster is a town in Kirchdorf an der Krems District, in the Austrian state of Upper Austria. Settled in 777, it is home to the Kremsmünster Abbey. The Abbey was founded 777 by Duke Tassilo III of Bavaria and is one of the oldest abbeys o ...

(a larger related version of the Rijksmuseum one shown here), and an '' Ecce Homo'' triptych in Brussels. A triptych ''Rest on the Flight into Egypt'' in a private collection (in 1995 location unknown) was later added by another scholar. It was generally agreed that these five works were by the same hand, but not universally that they were by Vellert. Other proposals were as early works of

Jan Gossaert Jan Gossaert (c. 1478 – 1 October 1532) was a French-speaking painter from the Low Countries also known as Jan Mabuse (the name he adopted from his birthplace, Maubeuge) or Jennyn van Hennegouwe ( Hainaut), as he called himself when he matri ...

, or by another figure. Konowicz compared these paintings to the stained glass and drawings for it by Vellert (who helpfully very often signed and dated his work) and concluded that they were not the same artist, therefore named the "new personality" the Master of the Lille Adoration. To the group of five, Konowicz added two half-length figures, one of

Pontius Pilate Pontius Pilate (; grc-gre, Πόντιος Πιλᾶτος, ) was the fifth governor of the Roman province of Judaea, serving under Emperor Tiberius from 26/27 to 36/37 AD. He is best known for being the official who presided over the trial of ...

in Sweden, and one version in Chicago of a

Saint Jerome Jerome (; la, Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus; grc-gre, Εὐσέβιος Σωφρόνιος Ἱερώνυμος; – 30 September 420), also known as Jerome of Stridon, was a Christian priest, confessor, theologian, and historian; he is co ...

known in several versions by different hands. In 2014, a ''Jerome'' from a German private collection, given to the master, sold for US$149,000 at Christie's. The ''Jerome''s are now seen as the right-hand half of a

diptych A diptych (; from the Greek δίπτυχον, ''di'' "two" + '' ptychē'' "fold") is any object with two flat plates which form a pair, often attached by hinge. For example, the standard notebook and school exercise book of the ancient world w ...

, or a pair of

pendant A pendant is a loose-hanging piece of jewellery, generally attached by a small loop to a necklace, which may be known as a "pendant necklace". A pendant earring is an earring with a piece hanging down. Its name stems from the Latin word ' ...

s, facing a composition of the ''Trinity'' which also exists in different examples (Warsaw example illustrated below). Through loans, the

Fogg Museum The Harvard Art Museums are part of Harvard University and comprise three museums: the Fogg Museum (established in 1895), the Busch-Reisinger Museum (established in 1903), and the Arthur M. Sackler Museum (established in 1985), and four research ...

Harvard Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

could display a pair (in 2006). Possibly buyers had the option of buying both works, or just one.

Works

De heilige maagschap Rijksmuseum SK-A-849

"The two core paintings", in Rotterdam and Lille, and Konowicz's other attributions are mentioned above. The Amsterdam ''

'' is not mentioned by Konowicz, but is now attributed by the

Rijksmuseum The Rijksmuseum () is the national museum of the Netherlands dedicated to Dutch arts and history and is located in Amsterdam. The museum is located at the Museum Square in the borough of Amsterdam South, close to the Van Gogh Museum, the ...

to the Master of the Lille Adoration, as a cut-down fragment with the central group from the painting in the Stiftsgalerie in Kremsmünster. This is a single panel, but divided by painted architecture into a triptych-like central section and two "wings", with all the figures in the lower half of the panel, below elaborate architecture. The Amsterdam painting shows the lower part of the central section, also slightly trimmed at the bottom. A small number of other paintings have been reattributed from Vellert, or sometimes others, to the new figure. In 2007, a

triptych A triptych ( ; from the Greek adjective ''τρίπτυχον'' "''triptukhon''" ("three-fold"), from ''tri'', i.e., "three" and ''ptysso'', i.e., "to fold" or ''ptyx'', i.e., "fold") is a work of art (usually a panel painting) that is divided ...

of the ''

Adoration of the Magi The Adoration of the Magi or Adoration of the Kings is the name traditionally given to the subject in the Nativity of Jesus in art in which the three Magi, represented as kings, especially in the West, having found Jesus by following a star, ...

'' newly attributed to the master was sold for £228,500 at

Sotheby's Sotheby's () is a British-founded American multinational corporation with headquarters in New York City. It is one of the world's largest brokers of fine and decorative art, jewellery, and collectibles. It has 80 locations in 40 countries, an ...

in London. In a rather unusual layout for this very common subject, the left wing is occupied by the black Magus, Saint Balthazar, and the right one by

Saint Joseph Joseph (; el, Ἰωσήφ, translit=Ioséph) was a 1st-century Jewish man of Nazareth who, according to the canonical Gospels, was married to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and was the legal father of Jesus. The Gospels also name some brothers ...

. In the central panel,

Saint Caspar Saint Caspar (otherwise known as Casper, Gaspar, Kaspar, and other variations) was one of the 'Three Kings', along with Melchior and Balthazar, representing the wise men or 'Biblical Magi' mentioned in the Bible in the Gospel of Matthew, verses ...

kneels to offer his gift to the

Virgin and Child In art, a Madonna () is a representation of Mary, either alone or with her child Jesus. These images are central icons for both the Catholic and Orthodox churches. The word is (archaic). The Madonna and Child type is very prevalent ...

, while

Saint Melchior Saint Melchior, or Melichior, was purportedly one of the Biblical Magi along with Caspar and Balthazar who visited the infant Jesus after he was born. Melchior was often referred to as the oldest member of the Magi. He was traditionally calle ...

waits behind, beside two

halberd A halberd (also called halbard, halbert or Swiss voulge) is a two-handed pole weapon that came to prominent use during the 13th, 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries. The word ''halberd'' is cognate with the German word ''Hellebarde'', deriving from ...

-carrying attendants. By 2010,

Maryan Wynn Ainsworth Maryan Ainsworth, who often publishes as Maryan Wynn Ainsworth, is an American art historian, author and curator specializing in 14th, 15th and 16th century Northern European painting, particularly in Early Netherlandish painting. She received he ...

thought three paintings previously given to

fitted better with the master. These were a small ''Holy Family with the Coats of Arms of Charles V and Isabella of Portugal'' in

St. Louis St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

, a ''Lucretia'' in a Swiss private collection, and a male portrait in

Hamilton, Ontario Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Hamilton has a population of 569,353, and its census metropolitan area, which includes Burlington and Grimsby, has a population of 785,184. The city is approximately southwest of ...

(

McMaster University McMaster University (McMaster or Mac) is a public research university in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The main McMaster campus is on of land near the residential neighbourhoods of Ainslie Wood and Westdale, adjacent to the Royal Botanical Ga ...

collection). According to Konowicz in 1995, the triptych in Havana (

Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes de La Habana The National Museum of Fine Arts of Havana (Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes de La Habana) in Havana, Cuba is a museum of fine arts that exhibits Cuban art collections from the colonial times up to contemporary generations. History It was founded ...

), then recently attributed to Vellert, is neither by him nor the Master of the Lille Adoration, but by an artist influenced by the latter.Konowicz, 188 File:Master of the Lille Adoration - A Triptych.jpg,

Triptych A triptych ( ; from the Greek adjective ''τρίπτυχον'' "''triptukhon''" ("three-fold"), from ''tri'', i.e., "three" and ''ptysso'', i.e., "to fold" or ''ptyx'', i.e., "fold") is a work of art (usually a panel painting) that is divided ...

of the ''

'', sold in 2007. Max height 59.5 cm (23.4 in) File:Master of the Lille Adoration - A Triptych (cropped).jpg, Central group File:Master of the Lille Adoration Holy Trinity.jpg, ''Holy Trinity'', Warsaw, formerly attributed to

Georg Pencz Georg Pencz (c. 1500 – 11 October 1550) was a German engraver, painter and printmaker. Pencz was probably born in Westheim near Bad Windsheim/Franconia. He travelled to Nuremberg in 1523 and joined Albrecht Dürer’s atelier. Like Dürer, h ...

File:Dirck Jacobsz Vellert - Sagrada Familia.jpg, ''Holy Family'',

Havana Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.

Notes

References

* Ainsworth, Maryan Wynn, ''Man, Myth, and Sensual Pleasures: Jan Gossart's Renaissance : the Complete Works'', 2010, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 9781588393982
fully online
*"Christie's"
Lot Essay for "The Master of the Lille Adoration (active Antwerp by c. 1523/35), ''Saint Jerome''"
Lot 149, Live Auction 2819, January 2014 *Filedt Kok, J.P., "'Master of the Lille Adoration, The Holy Kinship, c. 1520 – c. 1530", in J.P. Filedt Kok (ed.), Early Netherlandish Paintings, online coll. cat. Amsterdam 2010: hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.6388 (accessed 21 December 2020)
online
*Hand, John Oliver, et al, ''Prayers and Portraits'', 2006, Yale University Press, 9780300121551 *Konowitz, Ellen. "Dirk Vellert and the Master of the Lille Adoration: Some Antwerp Mannerist Paintings Reconsidered." ''Oud Holland'', vol. 109, no. 4, 1995, pp. 177–190
JSTOR
Accessed 20 December 2020.

External links

Master of the Lille Adoration
on

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Master of the Lille Adoration 1490s births 1530 deaths Early Netherlandish painters Artists from Antwerp Lille Adoration

Emergence

Works

Notes

References

Further reading

External links