the master of delft was a dutch painter of the final period of early netherlandish painting, whose name is unknown. he may have been born around 1470. the notname was first used in 1913 by max jakob friedländer, in describing the wings of a triptych with the virgin and child with st anne with the central panel by the master of frankfurt, which is now in aachen. this has donor portraits of an identifiable family from delft, that of the burgomaster of delft, dirck dircksz van beest heemskerck (1463–1545), with his wife and children.

artistic style and career

the master of delft can also be connected to delft by the inclusion of the nieuwe kerk tower, which was completed in 1496, in the background of his scenes from the passion of christ triptych in the national gallery, london, generally agreed to be his masterpiece, and the 'most representative and best preserved triptych in the group' attributed to him. this can be dated fairly precisely to 1509 as none of the prints it borrows details from are dated later than that. key aspects of the master of delft's style include:

• use of oil on panel and tempera
• focus on religious scenes and small portraits
• complex iconography and illusionism
• richly described landscapes, but often relegated to the background

notable works and legacy

some notable works by the master of delft include:

• the crucifixion: central panel (98 x 105 cm, national gallery, london)
• triptych with the virgin and child with st anne (aachen)

the master of delft's legacy can be seen in the works of other dutch painters, such as johannes vermeer and rembrandt van rijn, who were also known for their use of light and complex iconography. for more information on these artists, visit https://ArtsDot.com/@/johannes-vermeer and https://ArtsDot.com/@/rembrandt-van-rijn. for more information on the master of delft and other dutch painters, visit https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/early_netherlandish_painting and https://ArtsDot.com/@/master-of-delft.