The Master of 1518 (Antwerp c.1518)

The term, The Master of 1518, was first put forward by M. J. Friedländer and was named after the date inscribed on the painted wings of a carved wooden altarpiece of the Life of the Virgin in the Marienkirche, Lübeck. Over time a number of works have been grouped under this name. However, it has become evident that this name should not be understood as being a single master but include a whole workshop active in Antwerp in the first quarter of the 16th Century. It is believed that Jan Mertens van Dornicke (Antwerp c. 1470-1527) headed this workshop, although even this fact is disputed.

The present altarpiece is a very fine, well conserved example of an often repeated composition. Marlier (op.cit.) mentiones 10 other versions. It is close to a version in Museé des Beaux-Arts, Lille and another triptych sold with Christie's, Paris, 22 June 2005, lot 41. We are grateful to Drs. Linda Jansen for her help in cataloguing this lot (written documentation, 18 March 2011).