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Master of the Burgundian Prelates

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Crucifixion, from the missal of Richard Chambellan; MS BnF Lat.879, f. 105v
St Catherine of Siena, from the Book of Hours of Philibert Pillot; Autun, Bibliothèque Municipale, MS 269, f. 170v
Pontifical of Antoine de Chalon; Autun, Bibliothèque municipale, MS 129, f. 1r

The Master of the Burgundian Prelates was an anonymous master illuminator active in Burgundy between 1470 and 1490. He owes his name to several works commissioned from him by Burgundian bishops and abbots.

Style

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The art historian Nicole Reynaud isolated his style from four liturgical manuscripts for which he produced illuminations commissioned by four Burgundian bishops or abbots or of Burgundian origin: a missal for Ferry de Clugny, Bishop of Tournai and canon of Autun, a pontifical for Antoine de Chalon [fr], Bishop of Autun, a breviary for Jean III d'Amboise [fr], Bishop of Langres, and a missal for Richard Chambellan, Abbot of Saint-Étienne de Dijon. These sponsors, as well as the use of location of his books of hours, serve to identify this artist as a Burgundian. He may also have painted murals in the Chapelle Dorée of Autun Cathedral. His style is far removed from the Flemish illumination of the time. His characters are still and rectilinear, his colours dark and often enhanced with gold. His compositions are static and the illuminator has little interest in narrative or drama, but his style is well-adapted to devotional images such as crucifixions.[1][2]

Possible identification

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Several of the painter's motifs are found in the paintings of Josse Lieferinxe, an artist from Hainaut based in Avignon, who is known to have worked in the workshop of Jean Changenet [fr] – a Langrois artist from a large family of Burgundian artists – and may have left Burgundy after the death of Charles the Bold in 1477. According to Nicole Reynaud, the Master of the Burgundian Prelates may be a member of Changenet's family, perhaps his brother Pierre, who stayed in Burgundy.[1]

Works attributed to the Master

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Fourteen manuscripts were originally attributed to the Master by Nicole Reynaud, and others have been attributed to him since. Among the manuscripts thought to be by him are:

  • Pontifical of Antoine de Chalon, Bishop of Autun, c. 1483–1500. Autun, Bibliothèque municipale, MS 129.[3]
  • A detached leaf of the above. Autun, Musée Rolin, MS SE 127.[4]
  • Book of Hours of Philibert de Pillot, around 1480–1490. Autun, Bibliothèque municipale, MS 269.[5]
  • Gospel for the swearing of oaths, of the vicomtes-mayeurs of Dijon, 1488. Dijon, Archives municipales, lay. 5,72 (B 18).[7]
  • Book of Hours, use of Langres. Dijon, Bibliothèque municipale, MS 2555.[8]
  • The Berbisey Hours, possibly commissioned by Etienne II Berbisey, vicomte-mayeur of Dijon. Dijon, Bibliothèque municipale, MS 3765.[9]
  • Book of Hours, use of Rome, two miniatures in the hand of the Master. London, British Library, MS Harley 3181.[10]

Footnotes

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  1. ^ a b Didier, Dominique (1976). "Le Maître des Prélats bourguignons". Bulletin Monumental (in French). 134 (4): 349–350. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  2. ^ Hourihane, Colum P., ed. (2012). The Grove Encyclopedia of Medieval Art and Architecture. Volume 1. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 465. ISBN 9780195395365. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  3. ^ "Autun, BM, S 151 (129)". Initiale Catalogue de manuscrits enluminés (in French). Institut de recherche et d'histoire des textes du Centre national de la recherche scientifique, Section des manuscrits enluminés. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
  4. ^ "Autun, Musée Rolin, inv. SE 127". Initiale Catalogue de manuscrits enluminés (in French). Institut de recherche et d'histoire des textes du Centre national de la recherche scientifique, Section des manuscrits enluminés. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
  5. ^ "Autun, BM, 269". Initiale Catalogue de manuscrits enluminés (in French). Institut de recherche et d'histoire des textes du Centre national de la recherche scientifique, Section des manuscrits enluminés. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
  6. ^ "Book of hours: use of Rome: manuscript, [ca. 1485]". HOLLIS. Harvard College. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
  7. ^ "Dijon, AM, lay. 5,72 (B 18)". Initiale Catalogue de manuscrits enluminés (in French). Institut de recherche et d'histoire des textes du Centre national de la recherche scientifique, Section des manuscrits enluminés. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
  8. ^ "Dijon, BM, 2555". Initiale Catalogue de manuscrits enluminés (in French). Institut de recherche et d'histoire des textes du Centre national de la recherche scientifique, Section des manuscrits enluminés. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
  9. ^ "Dijon, BM, 3765". Initiale Catalogue de manuscrits enluminés (in French). Institut de recherche et d'histoire des textes du Centre national de la recherche scientifique, Section des manuscrits enluminés. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
  10. ^ "Detailed record for Harley 3181". Catalogue of Illuminated Manuscripts. British Library. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
  11. ^ "Detailed record for Sloane 2419". Catalogue of Illuminated Manuscripts. British Library. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
  12. ^ "MS 154. Tabourot-Bernard Hours. Burgundian, c. 1480-1490". McGill University Library. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
  13. ^ "Book of hours". The Morgan Library & Museum. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
  14. ^ "Latin 879". BnF Archives et manuscrits (in French). Bibliothèque nationale de France. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
  15. ^ "Breviary, use of Autun: [manuscript]". Huntington Digital Library. The Huntington Library. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
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