Master of 1419
Italian, Florentine, active early 15th century
Madonna of Humility
tempera and gold on wood panel, ca. 1415
Ackland Fund, 80.34.1
The style of the Master of 1419 most succinctly may be described as
falling between that of the two Florentine painters Lorenzo Monaco (ca.
1370/72 - 1422/25) and Masolino (1383 - 1440 or 1447). The Ackland Madonna
displays Lorenzo Monaco's decorative treatment of line and color as well
as his love for elaborately patterned fabrics, all of which are generally
characteristic of the International Gothic style. The curling and curving
edges of our Madonna's blue robe with its flowered lining and gold border
are comparable to such works by Lorenzo Monaco as his Madonna of
Humilty of 1413, now in the National Gallery in Washington. Also
similar to Lorenzo Monaco is the elegant pattern of curves formed by the
total composition of the Ackland VIrgin with the inclination of her head
toward the Child complementing the reverse curve of her right arm and the
Child's body. Small details too, such as the elongated hands and the
continuous line formed by the Virgin's brow and nose are elements of our
master's style that recall Lorenzo Monaco. The intimate and almost playful
relationship between the mother and Child are also entirely in keeping
with Florentine madonnas of the late 14th and early 15th centuries.
Yet there is a robust quality, both of form and color, in the work of the
Master of 1419 that links his style as closely with Masolino as with
Lorenzo Monaco. The deep dark shades of red, blue, and green of the
Virgin's garments are different from the pastel colors preferred by
Lorenzo Monaco; they find parallels with such a painting by Masolino as
his Madonna of Humility of 1423 in the Kunsthalle, Bremen.
Moreover, the greater plasticity and volume of the Child and his lifelike
scale approach the rounded, solid forms of Masolino's Child in the Bremen
painting. In fact, it has been suggested that the Ackland Madonna might
have provided a model for Masolino's Bremen Madonna.
