Mazarin master

A medieval illuminator in Paris is referred to as the Mazarin Master or Master of the Mazarin Hours ( English Master of the Mazarine Hours , Master of the Mazarin 469 ) . The artist , who is not known by name, is named after a book of hours he painted around 1420 , which was in the possession of Cardinal Jules Mazarin in the 17th century . It is now kept in the Bibliothèque Mazarine in Paris under the signature Ms. 469 .

For a long time, painted books were mostly only ordered by ecclesiastical clients because of their high production costs . The Mazarin master's book of hours, however, is a work for private use. Some other works are ascribed to the master. Colored books for private use became very popular during his creative period. Several workshops have arisen in Paris due to the demand and the Mazarin master usually contributed pictures with a group of other painters to the works requested by wealthy clients. These include numerous large-format miniatures that he contributed to the illustration of an edition of a travelogue by Marco Polo . The Boucicaut masters , the Egerton masters and the Bedford masters , for example, also participated in this work . With these, the Mazarin master can also be counted among the famous artists within the Parisian book art of the early 15th century. With them he forms a common style circle.

The investigation of the Parisian style circle to which the Mazarin master belongs and the separation of the contributions made by the respective masters and employees of their studios to the jointly published works can give art and book historical research insights into the artistic development of the late Gothic in Paris. On the one hand, there is craftsmanship that has arisen from traditional working methods, as well as mutual influence and the artistic exchange of ideas and motifs. However, the developments of individual illuminators can also be recognized, who are each developing traditional miniature painting independently and at a time of great demand. The influence of these painters is then occasionally noticeable later in large-format late Gothic altarpieces in France.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ The Book of Miracles. From "Le livre des merveilles du monde", Ms. fr. 2810 of the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Paris . Hirmer, Munich 1999, ISBN 3-7774-8430-X .

literature

• François Avril, Jean Richard, Marie-Thérèse Gousset, Marie-Hélène Tesnière: The Book of Miracles. From "Le livre des merveilles du monde", Ms. fr. 2810 of the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Paris . Hirmer, Munich 1999, ISBN 3-7774-8430-X , p.?.
• Gabriele Bartz: The Boucicaut Master. An unknown book of hours (= Illuminations. Studies and Monographs Vol. 1; = Catalog XLII Heribert Tenschert). Heribert Tenschert, Ramsen / Rotthalmünster 1999, p.?.
• Elisabeth Taburet-Delahaye (Ed.): Paris 1400. Les arts sous Charles VI. Fayard / RMN, Paris 2004, ISBN 2213620229 , p. 284 No. 175.