Master of the View of Saint Gudule
This painter was active in the last quarter of the 15th century. In 1926 Friedländer associated him with the panel of The rural Sermon (Musée du Louvre, Paris), which depicts a preaching saint. To identify this artist Friedländer used the name of the church of Saint Gudule in Brussels, to be seen the background of that painting. This artist’s approach to composition unites features found in the work of Jan van Eyck and Rogier van der Weyden, combined with a highly expressive manner of depicting the figures that suggests German painting. His works are identifiable by the precision in the details, a slightly nervous touch in the line that emphasises the outlines of the drapery, and the rather exaggerated faces and gestures. Also evident is an interest in buildings, which are generally in the Gothic style.
Among the panels attributed to this painter are Clothing the Naked (Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid), The Liberation of Prisoners (Musée Cluny, Paris), two further panels depicting Acts of Mercy, and a Portrait of a young Man (National Gallery, London), which includes a depiction of the church of Notre-Dame-du-Sablon, Brussels. It is thought that this painter ran a prestigious workshop, receiving numerous commissions and employing a large number of assistants. Works from his studio include the panels of Saint Catherine and the Philosophers (Musée des Beaux-Arts, Dijon), and The Presentation of the Virgin (Musée d’Art Ancien, Brussels).
