Master of Heiligenkreuz

The Master of Heiligenkreuz was an Austrian painter active at the beginning of the 15th century;[1] a tentative lifespan of 1395 to 1430 has been put forth[2] but this appears highly conjectural.

His name is taken from a diptych that once belonged to the Cistercian Abbey of Heiligenkreuz, located in southeastern Austria near the present-day border with Hungary.

Details of costume and iconography combine with associations with the International Style to indicate a date of around the first decade of the 15th century.

[1] Other writers have disagreed, and various nationalities including French, Austrian, German, or Bohemian have been posited for the Master.

[1] Stylistically, the Master's work is distinguished by use of some Gothic decorative elements, as well as oddly-proportioned figures with long, thin limbs and fingers.