Master MS

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Master M. S. (Hungarian: M. S. Mester, German: Meister M. S., Slovak: Majster M. S.) was a 16th century painter who specialized in late Gothic art and in early Renaissance art.

He was active in Banská Štiavnica (then Selmecbánya in Kingdom of Hungary, today in Slovakia) and probably led a workshop there. Since his true name is unknown, he is sometimes identified with various other Gothic "masters". German art historians generally identify him with J. Brieu, a painter from Augsburg. Also some art historians identify him with Master M. Z. (also mentioned as Matthäus Zaisinger (1498-1555)) German engraver and goldsmith from Munich. According to the new research the anonym master is very likely to have been a Hungarian painter called Sebestyén, whose name is mentioned in the charter of Banská Štiavnica in 1507. His art combining dramatic depth and colourful decorative formation is akin to that of the German painters Martin Schongauer, Albrecht Dürer, J. Brieu and mainly Mathias Grünewald.

Only six of his pictures are known which used to decorate the high altar of a church in Banská Štiavnica. It was believed that the oltar was in "Szent Katalin Church", but according to the new resurch the pictures were part of the altar in "Mária Templom". Now there are four Passion paintings in Esztergom in the Christian Museum; the painting "The Birth of Christ" is held in Hontszentantal and The Adoration of the Magi is in the Museum of Lille in France. His best painting entitled "The Visitation" depicts the meeting of the two saints, the Virgin Mary and St. Elizabeth is in Budapest in the Hungarian National Gallery.

[edit] Books and articles about Master MS

Meister M. S. / Genthon István Berlin : 1932

450 Jahre Meister M. S. / Radocsay Dénes Budapest : 1957

M.S. mester passióképei az esztergomi Keresztény Múzeumban / Mojzer Miklós Budapest : Magyar Helikon : Corvina Kiadó Vállalat, 1976

"Magnificat anima mea Dominum" M S Mester Vizitáció-képe és egykori selmecbányai főoltára . Kiállítási katalógus Budapest : Magyar Nemzeti Galéria, 1997

Eörsi Anna: "Gemartert ward under Poncio Pylato." Megjegyzések M S mester Kálváriájának ikonográfiájához. Művészettörténeti Értesítő XLVII. 1998, 199-213. oldal

Mojzer Miklós: Tanulmányok a Keresztény Múzeumban II. : M. S. mester zászlai Művészettörténeti Értesítő 1965

Végh János: "Magnificat anima mea Dominum" M S mester Vizitáció-képe és egykori selmecbányai főoltára Új Művészet, VIII. évf. 10-11. sz. 1997. október-november, 20-22. oldal