His notname is derived from a panel depiction of the Death of the Virgin, dated to about 1500 and now in the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam.
The painting shows the Virgin Mary and the twelve Apostles in a complex interior, in intimate mood.
The name "Master of the Almshouse of the Seven Electors" is sometimes preferred because it refers to the name of the institution that donated the painting to the museum.
There is also some disagreement over the attribution of paintings ascribed to the Master; some critics prefer instead to attribute some of them to the poorly known Master of the Lantern.
Critics also disagree as to his origin; some have linked him to Amsterdam, while others have suggested ties to Utrecht and its school of manuscript painters.