Master Hugo (fl. c.1130-c.1150) was a Romanesque lay artist and the earliest recorded professional artist in England.
A scene from the Bury St Edmunds Bible (c. 1135) by Master Hugo
His documented career at Bury St Edmunds Abbey spans from before 1136 to after 1148. He is most famous for illuminating the first volume of the Bury Bible, which "have led to a general acknowledgement of Master Hugo as the gifted innovator of the main line of English Romanesque art".[1] This was made for the Abbey in about 1135, and is now in the Parker Library of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge; it is not known whether he illuminated the second volume, of which only a small fragment is known to survive, now in a private collection in the United States. He is also recorded as making bronze doors for the western entry of the Abbey church, a great bell and a carved crucifix with figures of Mary and Saint John, for the Monk's Choir (probably a rood). He has been credited with having made the ivory Cloisters Cross (or "Bury St Edmunds Cross"), now at The Cloisters, New York.[2]
It is not known where Master Hugo was born or trained. According to the Fitzwilliam Museum, "the magnificent colour patterns of his paintings, the startlingly new Byzantine draperies and the deep-staring eyes of Moses, Aaron and the Jews suggest that he had travelled at least to southern Italy and probably also to Cyprus, Byzantium, and even the Holy Land."[3]
Referencesedit
^Elizabeth C. Parker, Master Hugo as Sculptor: A Source for the Style of the Bury Bible, GESTA, XX/1, 1981, JSTOR
^Thomas Hoving, King of the Confessors: A New Appraisal. cybereditions.com. Christchurch, New Zealand: 2001
^"The Bible and Its Study: From the Cloisters to the University". Fitzwilliam Museum.
Further readingedit
‘Gesta sacristarum’, Memorials of St Edmund's Abbey, ed. T. Arnold, 2, Rolls Series, 96 (1892), 289–96
C. M. Kauffmann, ‘The Bury Bible’, Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes, 29 (1966), 60–81
R. M. Thomson, ‘Early Romanesque book-illustration in England: the dates of the Pierpont Morgan Vitae sancti Edmundi and the Bury Bible’, Viator, 2 (1971), 211–25
R. M. Thomson, ‘The date of the Bury Bible reexamined’, Viator, 6 (1975), 51–8
Thomas Hoving, King of the Confessors. Simon & Schuster. New York, New York: 1981.ISBN978-0345303707
Elizabeth C. Parker & Charles T. Little, The Cloisters Cross. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. New York, N.Y.: 1994.
T. A. Heslop, ‘The production and artistry of the Bury Bible’, Bury St Edmunds: medieval art, architecture, archaeology, and economy, ed. A. Gransden (1998), 172–85 ISBN9780901286888
External linksedit
The Cloisters Cross
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master, hugo, 1130, 1150, romanesque, artist, earliest, recorded, professional, artist, england, scene, from, bury, edmunds, bible, 1135, documented, career, bury, edmunds, abbey, spans, from, before, 1136, after, 1148, most, famous, illuminating, first, volum. Master Hugo fl c 1130 c 1150 was a Romanesque lay artist and the earliest recorded professional artist in England A scene from the Bury St Edmunds Bible c 1135 by Master HugoHis documented career at Bury St Edmunds Abbey spans from before 1136 to after 1148 He is most famous for illuminating the first volume of the Bury Bible which have led to a general acknowledgement of Master Hugo as the gifted innovator of the main line of English Romanesque art 1 This was made for the Abbey in about 1135 and is now in the Parker Library of Corpus Christi College Cambridge it is not known whether he illuminated the second volume of which only a small fragment is known to survive now in a private collection in the United States He is also recorded as making bronze doors for the western entry of the Abbey church a great bell and a carved crucifix with figures of Mary and Saint John for the Monk s Choir probably a rood He has been credited with having made the ivory Cloisters Cross or Bury St Edmunds Cross now at The Cloisters New York 2 It is not known where Master Hugo was born or trained According to the Fitzwilliam Museum the magnificent colour patterns of his paintings the startlingly new Byzantine draperies and the deep staring eyes of Moses Aaron and the Jews suggest that he had travelled at least to southern Italy and probably also to Cyprus Byzantium and even the Holy Land 3 References edit Elizabeth C Parker Master Hugo as Sculptor A Source for the Style of the Bury Bible GESTA XX 1 1981 JSTOR Thomas Hoving King of the Confessors A New Appraisal cybereditions com Christchurch New Zealand 2001 The Bible and Its Study From the Cloisters to the University Fitzwilliam Museum Further reading edit Gesta sacristarum Memorials of St Edmund s Abbey ed T Arnold 2 Rolls Series 96 1892 289 96 C M Kauffmann The Bury Bible Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes 29 1966 60 81 R M Thomson Early Romanesque book illustration in England the dates of the Pierpont Morgan Vitae sancti Edmundi and the Bury Bible Viator 2 1971 211 25 R M Thomson The date of the Bury Bible reexamined Viator 6 1975 51 8 Thomas Hoving King of the Confessors Simon amp Schuster New York New York 1981 ISBN 978 0345303707 C R Dodwell The pictorial arts of the West 800 1200 1993 341 7 ISBN 978 0300064933 Elizabeth C Parker amp Charles T Little The Cloisters Cross The Metropolitan Museum of Art New York N Y 1994 T A Heslop The production and artistry of the Bury Bible Bury St Edmunds medieval art architecture archaeology and economy ed A Gransden 1998 172 85 ISBN 9780901286888External links editThe Cloisters Cross nbsp This biographical article about a painter from England is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Master Hugo amp oldid 1165855489, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
