Master I. A. M. of Zwolle
Encyclopedia
Master I. A. M. of Zwolle (known works 1470–1490, lifetime estimated as ca. 1440–1504) was an anonymous Dutch
goldsmith
and engraver who signed many of his works with his initials I. A. M. or I. A., and added "Zwolle
" to some. His work is characterized by crowded and active scenes of people, graded tones and crisp strokes. Only 26 works by his hand are extant.
1440, d. 1504) as the artist behind the engravings. This obscure artist was a painter in Zwolle
, but none of his works have survived, so it is impossible to prove a connection on stylistic grounds. The only link between him and Master I. A. M. is a record that his son, also named Johan, was paid to print several engravings for the city of Zwolle in 1545; these were possibly plates inherited from his father.
Another theory posits that Master I.A.M's prints were produced by two collaborating artists, one who designed the prints and another who engraved and printed them. In this theory I. A. M. could stand for "Johannes Aurifaber Meester" (Master John the Goldsmith), possibly Johannes Ludolphi, a goldsmith
who arrived in Zwolle in 1479. One variation of this theory supposes that the signature contains the marks of both artists: I. A. M. would be Johann van den Minnesten's signature, while the image of a drill is the hallmark
of the goldsmith / engraver. This collaborative theory would explain the vast differences in composition between the still and simple The Madonna Seated, the Christ Child Holding the Cross and the manneristically
dynamic The Betrayal of Christ.
The major influence upon Master I. A. M.'s early work appears to have been Roger van der Weyden
, although he was also influenced by Martin Schongauer
. Hieronymous Bosch, a contemporary, also appears to have influenced the grotesque
figures in The Betrayal of Christ: Bosch's Christ Carrying the Cross
is particularly similar.
The artist's style appears to have changed dramatically around 1485; the drapery of his figures became more sculptural, separated into broad planes like contemporary wood sculptures, as opposed to his earlier and more fluid style. This has generated speculation among scholars that some of these later prints were either designs for wood relief sculptures, or were based upon reliefs that are now lost. This is partially supported by records that Johan van den Minnesten was commissioned to paint several relief sculptures.
His most involved work was a series of passion engravings, of which only The Last Supper, The Agony in the Garden, and The Betrayal of Christ survive.
is the production of multiple images, so most of these works exist in more than one copy and are in the collections of several museums. As with most 15th century prints, surviving impressions of his works are rare - the three Passion prints survive in 8,8 and 20 impressions only. The works can only be approximately dated, if at all, because so little is known about Master I. A. M.'s life. None of the prints were titled, so they are given generic or descriptive titles that vary slightly between sources. The individual impressions also vary in sheet size.
also based paintings upon I.A.M.'s engravings. Lucas van Leiden developed his style from that of Master I.A.M. and Albrecht Dürer
.
His prints were much sought after by prominent collectors. The English writer Samuel Pepys
owned copies of the Pietà
and The Last Supper, and Ferdinand Columbus (the son of Christopher Columbus
) owned a copy of Allegory of the Transience of Life.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
goldsmith
Goldsmith
A goldsmith is a metalworker who specializes in working with gold and other precious metals. Since ancient times the techniques of a goldsmith have evolved very little in order to produce items of jewelry of quality standards. In modern times actual goldsmiths are rare...
and engraver who signed many of his works with his initials I. A. M. or I. A., and added "Zwolle
Zwolle
Zwolle is a municipality and the capital city of the province of Overijssel, Netherlands, 120 kilometers northeast of Amsterdam. Zwolle has about 120,000 citizens.-History:...
" to some. His work is characterized by crowded and active scenes of people, graded tones and crisp strokes. Only 26 works by his hand are extant.
Identity
One theory of Master I. A. M.'s identity points to Johan van den Minnesten (also spelled Mynnesten, b. ca.Circa
Circa , usually abbreviated c. or ca. , means "approximately" in the English language, usually referring to a date...
1440, d. 1504) as the artist behind the engravings. This obscure artist was a painter in Zwolle
Zwolle
Zwolle is a municipality and the capital city of the province of Overijssel, Netherlands, 120 kilometers northeast of Amsterdam. Zwolle has about 120,000 citizens.-History:...
, but none of his works have survived, so it is impossible to prove a connection on stylistic grounds. The only link between him and Master I. A. M. is a record that his son, also named Johan, was paid to print several engravings for the city of Zwolle in 1545; these were possibly plates inherited from his father.
Another theory posits that Master I.A.M's prints were produced by two collaborating artists, one who designed the prints and another who engraved and printed them. In this theory I. A. M. could stand for "Johannes Aurifaber Meester" (Master John the Goldsmith), possibly Johannes Ludolphi, a goldsmith
Goldsmith
A goldsmith is a metalworker who specializes in working with gold and other precious metals. Since ancient times the techniques of a goldsmith have evolved very little in order to produce items of jewelry of quality standards. In modern times actual goldsmiths are rare...
who arrived in Zwolle in 1479. One variation of this theory supposes that the signature contains the marks of both artists: I. A. M. would be Johann van den Minnesten's signature, while the image of a drill is the hallmark
Hallmark
A hallmark is an official mark or series of marks struck on items made of precious metals — platinum, gold, silver and in some nations, palladium...
of the goldsmith / engraver. This collaborative theory would explain the vast differences in composition between the still and simple The Madonna Seated, the Christ Child Holding the Cross and the manneristically
Mannerism
Mannerism is a period of European art that emerged from the later years of the Italian High Renaissance around 1520. It lasted until about 1580 in Italy, when a more Baroque style began to replace it, but Northern Mannerism continued into the early 17th century throughout much of Europe...
dynamic The Betrayal of Christ.
Work
Master I. A. M. produced original and inventive compositions in a style that has been variously described as "lively", "dramatic", "turbulent" "refined" and marked by "Dutch swagger". His engraving technique was careful and neat but tending to dryness. Later prints show more dramatic use of tonal contrasts, in drapery and other areas. His faces mostly have Dutch peasant features, sometimes bordering on the grotesque.The major influence upon Master I. A. M.'s early work appears to have been Roger van der Weyden
Roger van der Weyden
Rogier van der Weyden or Rogier de le Pasture was an Early Flemish painter. His surviving works consist mainly of religious triptychs, altarpieces and commissioned single and diptych portraits. Although his life was generally uneventful, he was highly successful and internationally famous in his...
, although he was also influenced by Martin Schongauer
Martin Schongauer
Martin Schongauer was a German engraver and painter. He was the most important German printmaker before Albrecht Dürer....
. Hieronymous Bosch, a contemporary, also appears to have influenced the grotesque
Grotesque
The word grotesque comes from the same Latin root as "Grotto", meaning a small cave or hollow. The original meaning was restricted to an extravagant style of Ancient Roman decorative art rediscovered and then copied in Rome at the end of the 15th century...
figures in The Betrayal of Christ: Bosch's Christ Carrying the Cross
Christ Carrying the Cross (Bosch, 1480s)
Christ Carrying the Cross is a painting by Hieronymus Bosch, executed in the 1480s. It is at the Kunsthistorisches Museum, in Vienna, Austria.Christ Child with a Walking Frame is painted on the back of this painting.-See also:...
is particularly similar.
The artist's style appears to have changed dramatically around 1485; the drapery of his figures became more sculptural, separated into broad planes like contemporary wood sculptures, as opposed to his earlier and more fluid style. This has generated speculation among scholars that some of these later prints were either designs for wood relief sculptures, or were based upon reliefs that are now lost. This is partially supported by records that Johan van den Minnesten was commissioned to paint several relief sculptures.
His most involved work was a series of passion engravings, of which only The Last Supper, The Agony in the Garden, and The Betrayal of Christ survive.
List of works
Dimensions given are that of the image. The essence of printmakingPrintmaking
Printmaking is the process of making artworks by printing, normally on paper. Printmaking normally covers only the process of creating prints with an element of originality, rather than just being a photographic reproduction of a painting. Except in the case of monotyping, the process is capable...
is the production of multiple images, so most of these works exist in more than one copy and are in the collections of several museums. As with most 15th century prints, surviving impressions of his works are rare - the three Passion prints survive in 8,8 and 20 impressions only. The works can only be approximately dated, if at all, because so little is known about Master I. A. M.'s life. None of the prints were titled, so they are given generic or descriptive titles that vary slightly between sources. The individual impressions also vary in sheet size.
- The Adoration of the Magi 35.3 x 24 cm
- The Last Supper 34.7 x 26.8 cm
- The Agony in the Garden 39.5 x 29.6 cm
- The Betrayal of Christ 34.1 x 26.8 cm
- The Large Crucifixion with the Horsemen 35.8 x 24.8 cm
- The Lamentation over Christ (PietàPietàThe Pietà is a subject in Christian art depicting the Virgin Mary cradling the dead body of Jesus, most often found in sculpture. As such, it is a particular form of the Lamentation of Christ, a scene from the Passion of Christ found in cycles of the Life of Christ...
) 26.3 x 30 cm - Christ Blessing 23.5 x 14.3 cm
- The Virgin and Child with Cherries at the Window 22.5 x 16.2 cm (irregular)
- The Madonna Seated, the Christ Child Holding the Cross 22.5 x 18 cm
- The Virgin Standing on a Demon 22.3 x 14.4 cm
- The Virgin and Child, Turning over the Leaves of a Book 23.8 x 19.5 cm
- Saint Anne, the Virgin and Child on a Throne 26.6 x 19.2 cm
- Saint Augustine with the Heart, Pierced by an Arrow 26.6 x 21 cm
- Saint Bernard Kneeling before the Virgin 32.6 x 26.1 cm
- Saint Christopher on Horseback 28.6 x 20.6 cm
- Saint George 20.5 x 13.8 cm
- Mass of Saint GregoryMass of Saint GregoryThe Mass of Saint Gregory is a subject in Roman Catholic art which first appears in the late Middle Ages and was still found in the Counter-Reformation. Pope Gregory I The Mass of Saint Gregory is a subject in Roman Catholic art which first appears in the late Middle Ages and was still found in...
10.2 x 6.4 cm (This particular engraving is a copy after Master W with the KeyMaster W with the KeyMaster W with the Key also known as Master WA and Master of the Housemark was an anonymous Netherlandish engraver, who is thought to have been a goldsmith in Bruges. The name given to him refers to his monogram, which is a W followed by a key symbol. 82 works signed with that monogram are extant...
) - Mass of Saint Gregory 15.2 x 12.4 cm
- Mass of Saint Gregory 32.3 x 22.4 cm
- Allegory of the Transience of Life 33.3 x 22.6 cm
- Battle of Two Men with the Centaur 15.7 x 22.2 cm
- The Young Man and the Devil 30.7 x 20.6 cm
- Coat of Arms with a Greyhound Supported by a Savage 7.7 cm in diameter
- Gothic Canopy with Windows and Doors 41.6 x 28.1 cm
- The Crucifixion
- Death' 30.2 x 21.3 cm
Legacy
Master I.A.M.'s prints were often copied by contemporary engravers, but also by artists in other media. In particular the painter Gian Francesco da Tolmezzo based his fresco in Provesano (c. 1496) upon The Betrayal of Christ. Francisco HenriquesFrancisco Henriques
Francisco Henriques was a Flemish Renaissance painter active in Portugal in the early 16th century.Around the year 1500 Francisco Henriques came to Portugal from Bruges, where he may have been a disciple of Gerard David...
also based paintings upon I.A.M.'s engravings. Lucas van Leiden developed his style from that of Master I.A.M. and Albrecht Dürer
Albrecht Dürer
Albrecht Dürer was a German painter, printmaker, engraver, mathematician, and theorist from Nuremberg. His prints established his reputation across Europe when he was still in his twenties, and he has been conventionally regarded as the greatest artist of the Northern Renaissance ever since...
.
His prints were much sought after by prominent collectors. The English writer Samuel Pepys
Samuel Pepys
Samuel Pepys FRS, MP, JP, was an English naval administrator and Member of Parliament who is now most famous for the diary he kept for a decade while still a relatively young man...
owned copies of the Pietà
Pietà
The Pietà is a subject in Christian art depicting the Virgin Mary cradling the dead body of Jesus, most often found in sculpture. As such, it is a particular form of the Lamentation of Christ, a scene from the Passion of Christ found in cycles of the Life of Christ...
and The Last Supper, and Ferdinand Columbus (the son of Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus was an explorer, colonizer, and navigator, born in the Republic of Genoa, in northwestern Italy. Under the auspices of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, he completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean that led to general European awareness of the American continents in the...
) owned a copy of Allegory of the Transience of Life.
External links
- Collection, from the National Gallery of ArtNational Gallery of ArtThe National Gallery of Art and its Sculpture Garden is a national art museum, located on the National Mall between 3rd and 9th Streets at Constitution Avenue NW, in Washington, DC...
- The Last Supper, from the Passion series, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas.