Master of Saint Giles XV secolo

The Master of Saint Giles (French: Maître de Saint-Gilles) was a Franco-Flemish painter active, probably in Paris, about 1500, working in a delicate Late Gothic manner, with rendering of textures and light and faithful depictions of actual interiors that show his affinities with Netherlandish painting. It is not clear whether the Master of Saint Giles was a French painter who trained in the Low Countries (perhaps more likely), or a Netherlander who emigrated to France.

His pseudonym was given him by Max Friedländer, who reconstructed part of the anonymous painter's oeuvre, starting from two panels devoted to Saint Giles (a Miracle and a Mass) in the National Gallery, London, that were part of the lefthand shutter of an altarpiece, and two further panels now in Washington from the same altarpiece. The hand of an assistant can be discerned in the Baptism of Clovis at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, who also have a panel with Episodes from the Life of a Bishop-Saint - perhaps Saint Leu, Saint Denis or Saint Remy. All four panels have, or had, single grisaille figures of saints (Saints Peter, Giles, Denis and an unidentified bishop-saint) in niches, imitating sculpture, on the reverse. The Washington pair, which were in poor condition, have been separated and are lost, although photographs exist. Undoubtedly there were further panels, whose subjects cannot be guessed, as the combination of scenes is original.

Settings of the altarpiece

The original location of the altarpiece has not yet been confirmed, although the choice of three scenes including Frankish Kings, and the very specific settings of scenes in the Abbey of Saint-Denis (Mass of Saint Giles, London), where the Kings of France were crowned, the royal Chapel of Sainte-Chapelle (Baptism of Clovis), and outside the cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris (Episodes), suggest a commission very close to the crown, perhaps the cover for the high altar at Saint-Denis. Another candidate is the church of St Leu-St-Gilles, on the Rue Saint-Denis in Paris. The unidentified bishop-saint stands on the steps of the now vanished church of Saint-Jean-le-Rond, next door to Notre-Dame, the main entrance to which can be seen behind to the left. The small church was used as a baptistry. In the background is the Hôtel-Dieu. Both buildings survived until the eighteenth century, and are known from engravings.^[2] The panel with the King hunting probably shows a view of Pontoise, now in the north-western suburbs of Paris. The views shown appear very accurate where they can be confirmed by later pictures, or their survival to the present, and the view of Saint-Denis in particular is a valuable record of the church-furnishings of the day, all destroyed before or during the French Revolution.

Other works

More specific Netherlandish connections include his adaptation of Madonna types developed by Rogier van der Weyden, evinced by the head of a lady at the Metropolitan Museum,^] and a Madonna and Child, probably early, in the Louvre. To him is attributed a portrait of Philip the Handsome (Winterthur), who visited Paris in 1501, that appears to be the original version of one of the most common portrait types of this prince. There are two saints in Bern which show a more massive French style. A Betrayal of Christ in Brussels is a night-scene, illuminated only by a lantern. Like the Estonian-born Michael Sittow and Jean Hey (the Master of Moulins), he may demonstrate the international spread of Netherlandish style, or like Juan de Flandes, the spread of Netherlandish painters.

Con il nome convenzionale di Maestro di Saint Giles (in francese: Maître de Saint-Gilles) si definisce un anonimo pittore franco-fiammingo attivo ad Parigi alla fine del XV secolo.

Biografia

Questo anonimo pittore si formò senza dubbio nelle Fiandre presso Hugo van der Goes, ma dovette ben presto stabilirsi a Parigi, perché numerose sue composizioni sono inquadrate entro vedute molto dettagliate di monumenti di Parigi e dintorni; inoltre anche le sue impaginazioni ariose e tranquille e i volti regolari dei personaggi rimandano a modelli francesi.

Il pittore deriva il suo nome da due tavole, entrambe ora conservate alla National Gallery di Londra, che raffigurano la Messa di Sant'Egidio e Sant'Egidio e la cerva. Altri due dipinti dovevano far parte dello stesso programma iconografico, anzi probabilmente dello stesso complesso: San Lio guarisce i bambini e San Dionigi battezza Lisbius, entrambe conservate alla National Gallery of Art di Washington. Le quattro tavole erano destinate con ogni probabilità alla chiesa di Saint Leu e Saint Giles di Parigi e furono realizzate attorno al 1500.

Opere attribuite

Al maestro è stata attribuita una dozzina di opere:

Quattro parti di una pala relativa alla vita di san Egidio e di san Lio, realizzato verso il 1500:
Il battesimo di Clodoveo, 61,5 × 45,5 cm, National Gallery of Art, Washington
San Lio guarisce i bambini, 61,5 × 47, National Gallery of Art, Washington
Sant'Egidio e la cerva, 61,6 × 46.4 cm, National Gallery, Londra
Messa di Sant'Egidio, 61,6 × 45,7, National Gallery, Londra
San Girolamo nel deserto, 61 × 51 cm, Gemäldegalerie, Berlino, verso il 1500
Ritratto di uomo con la moglie, 17 × 12 cm, musée Condé, Castello di Chantilly, entre 1490 et 1520
Vergine con il Bambino, 20,8 × 14.6 cm, Musée des beaux-arts de Dole, verso il 1500
Vergine con il Bambino, 20,8 × 14.6 cm, musée du Louvre, verso il 1500
Arresto di Cristo, Museo reale delle belle arti del Belgio, Bruxelles

Baptism of Clovis, Washington, set in the Sainte-Chapelle, Paris

Master of Saint Giles - National Gallery of Art, Washington, D. C., circa 1500

Episodes from the Life of a Bishop-Saint, Washington, set outside the cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris and the Church of Saint-Jean-le-Rond

Master of Saint Giles and workshop - National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC 1500

With cathedral Notre-Dame de Paris, Saint-Jean-le-rond on the left and the hospital Hotel-Dieu in the background.

madonna col bambino, 1490 ca., Maestro di st. gilles

madonna col bambino, 1500 ca. Maestro di saint giles

Virgin and Child with a Dragonfly Master of Saint Giles - 1500 ca.

Mass of Saint Giles, London, showing the Abbey of Saint-Denis, with Charles Martel or Charlemange
Master of Saint Giles - The National Gallery, London Created: с.1500

peinture du Maitre de Saint Gilles montrant le roi, l'abbé, le retable et la croix de Suger ainsi que l'église en l'abbaye de St-Denis à Paris.