Master of The Bruges Passion Scenes

This anonymous artist was active in Bruges in the late fifteenth century. His conventional name was established in 1903 by Max Friedländer on the basis of a work depicting three scenes from the Passion of Christ housed in Saint Salvator’s cathedral, Sint-Salvatorskathedraal, in Bruges. The same artist was thought to have produced other works such as Christ presented to the People now in London’s National Gallery and Saint Anthony of Padua and the Miracle of the Mule in Madrid’s Museo del Prado (P001917). Friedländer first called him Master of 1500 on account of an inscription on the frame of the Bruges painting, which proved not to be original. Martin Davies therefore renamed him Master of the Bruges Passion Scenes. His works, especially those in Bruges and London, are strongly influenced by the prints of Martin Schongauer (c. 1435/53–1491) and a few elements characteristic of the Master of Flémalle and Hans Memling.