Circle of the Master of 1518
c. 1470 – c. 1527
Christ on the Cross, with the Virgin Mary at the Foot of the Cross being comforted by Mary Magdalene and St John the Apostle; in the Background Herod’s Soldiers retreating towards Jerusalem
Essay:
The Master of 1518 is variously identified as Jan van Dornicke and Jan Mertens II and was a leading painter in Antwerp and exponent of "Antwerp Mannerism". His moniker was first suggested by Max Friedländer after the date inscribed on the wings of a carved wooden altarpiece of the Life of the Virgin in the Marienkirche, Lübeck. His oeuvre has grown steadily over time and consists mostly of altarpieces.
Dornicke was the father-in-law and probable teacher of Pieter Coecke van Aelst (1502 - 1550) who married his daughter, Anna before 1526. Van Aelst borrowed from a number of his father-in-laws compositions and it has been this association that has given more traction to the identification of the Master of 1518 with that of Dornicke.
Provenance:
Private Collection, Spain