Paintings of the Passion by Master M. S.

Fülszöveg

All other panel paintings originating from medieval Hungary are surpassed by the artistic qualities of the series that presumably used to adorn the high altar of one of the churches of Selmecbánya (Banská Stiavnica, Czechoslovakia). The panels were discovered in the vicinity of that town and are, at present, cherished treasures of the Christian Museum in Esztergom. The identity of the master has remained a secret, although the restorations performed at the beginning of this century have revealed the initials, M. S. The controversy over the identity of the painter is particularly exciting, since it is evident that he was one of the outstanding artists of the late Middle Ages, who depicted highly dramatic scenes with a sure hand. Moreover, he was so versatile that he painted elaborately idyllic landscapes abounding in beautiful details to serve as contrasting backgrounds. In his introduction, Miklós Mojzer, Curator of the Department for Ancient Art in the Hungárián National Gallery,... Tovább

Fülszöveg

All other panel paintings originating from medieval Hungary are surpassed by the artistic qualities of the series that presumably used to adorn the high altar of one of the churches of Selmecbánya (Banská Stiavnica, Czechoslovakia). The panels were discovered in the vicinity of that town and are, at present, cherished treasures of the Christian Museum in Esztergom. The identity of the master has remained a secret, although the restorations performed at the beginning of this century have revealed the initials, M. S. The controversy over the identity of the painter is particularly exciting, since it is evident that he was one of the outstanding artists of the late Middle Ages, who depicted highly dramatic scenes with a sure hand. Moreover, he was so versatile that he painted elaborately idyllic landscapes abounding in beautiful details to serve as contrasting backgrounds. In his introduction, Miklós Mojzer, Curator of the Department for Ancient Art in the Hungárián National Gallery, not only pointed out the beauty and rare characteristics of the pictures (e.g. its singular language of symbols), but, using stylistic analysis, has alsó attempted to establish the identity of the painter. He has conscientiously explored small details in the various pictures: the gestures of hands, the draperies of garments and tiny parts of the background. At the same time, he refers to similar details to be found in the paintings and engravings of contemporaries. He has done this to determine whether such analogies are simply parallel phenomena or whether they could have served as sources for Master M. S. Thus the book is equally useful for students of the painting in the period in question and for the generál reader alike. In addition to the four plates representing the four panels in their entirety, the book alsó contains numerous reproductions of the panels in detail. Vissza