Master of Meßkirch


The Master of Meßkirch was an anonymous German Renaissance painter.

Biography

The so-called Master of Meßkirch is named after the eleven altarpieces he painted for the Stiftskirche St. Martin in Meßkirch between 1536 and 1540. His birthplace and apprenticeship are unknown, but he may have studied under an artist from the circle of Albrecht Dürer, such as Hans von Kulmbach or Hans Leonhard Schäufelein. From the 1530s onwards his works seem to display familiarity with contemporary northern Italian painting. Hans Baldung Grien was also influential to his work.
of Count Gottfried Werner von Zimmern'', by the Master of Meßkirch. Oil on wood, left wing of the Wildsteiner Altarpiece
Early on he worked for Count Eitel Friedrich III of Hohenzollern in Veringenstadt. Later he was called to Meßkirch to work for Count Gottfried Werner von Zimmern.
Throughout the master's career his figures had Manneristic proportions. While early on his colors were bright and iridescent, his coloration became calmer and more muted in his last years.
His most important works include: