The Master of Flémalle, The Nativity, around 1430
Dijon, Musée des Beaux-Arts
© Dijon, Musée des Beaux-Arts de Dijon, François Jay
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Rogier van der Weyden, Portrait of a young Lady, around 1440/45, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Gemäldegalerie © Volker H. Schneider
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Rogier van der Weyden, Visitation, around 1445, Leipzig, Museum der bildenden Künste
© bpk / Leipzig, Museum der bildenden Künste, Ursula Gerstenberger
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Rogier van der Weyden (Workshop)
Heinrich von Werl with St. John the Baptist (left panel)
St. Barbara (right panel), around 1438, Madrid, Museo del Prado
© Madrid, Museo Nacional del Prado
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After its great success at the Städel Museum in Frankfurt, the Deutsche Bank-sponsored show The Master of Flémalle and Rogier van der Weyden can currently be seen in Berlin’s Gemäldegalerie. The exhibition introduces two of the most important pioneers of painting in the modern era. Among experts, however, the true identity of the Master of Flémalle is still a matter of controversy. He is frequently identified with Robert Campin, who resided in the Belgian city of Tournai and in whose workshop Rogier van der Weyden worked.
In spite of all the controversy, however, one thing remains undisputed: both artists were largely responsible for advancing the development of Early Netherlandish painting in the 15th century, and both stand for the discovery of the visible world. Their perfection of the technique of oil painting enabled them to capture their visual impressions with a wealth of detail that was previously unknown. Their paintings are characterized by a presence that even a modern viewer is unable to resist. The exhibition is widely regarded to be an art historical sensation. This opportunity to compare so many masterpieces by the two artists in one location will not present itself again so quickly.
The Master of Flémalle and Rogier van der Weyden
3/20 - 6/21/2009
Gemäldegalerie der Staatlichen Museen, Berlin
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