The large-scale exhibition of the Museum of Fine Arts Budapest to open on 9 April showcases one of the most significant yet enigmatic figures of medieval Hungarian art, known as Master MS. The exhibition not only presents the artist’s known and newly attributed works but also provides a comprehensive picture of his artistic environment, the artistic regions that influenced his style and the historical context of Hungary at the turn of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Furthermore, it proposes a new theory regarding one of the most intriguing mysteries in Hungarian art history: the identity of the artist behind the MS monogram. The exhibition, where visitors can see nearly one hundred works of art, maps, models, goldsmith’s pieces and period documents, is open until the end of July. The exhibition is organised as part of the Bartók Spring International Art Weeks. Organised in conjunction with the Christian Museum of Esztergom and with contributions from over twenty lending institutions, this monographic exhibition opens a new chapter in the decades of research into Master MS’s identity and art. The last major overview of the artist and his work, together with the related exhibition, took place at the Hungarian National Gallery nearly thirty years ago, in 1997, when his most renowned painting, The Visitation of the Virgin to Saint Elizabeth (The Visitation) was restored. The new theories, research findings, and technical analyses that have emerged since then have prompted a reassessment of the artist’s role not only in Hungarian art but also in the broader context of European painting and graphic art. The exhibition was preceded by an extensive research project carried out by a team of historians, art historians, and conservators to define the artistic milieu surrounding the medieval master. The research examined the artist’s most famous masterpieces, the panel paintings from the former high altarpiece of Saint Catherine’s Church in Selmecbánya (now Banská Štiavnica, Slovakia), as well as other works attributed to him, while seeking to reconstruct the social, historical, ecclesiastical and artistic context of the altarpieces. As a result of these analyses and examinations, the exhibition provides a clearer picture of Master MS. It attributes a number of previously unidentified paintings and drawings to him or his workshop, thus almost tripling the number of works previously associated with him. The newly identified works also help trace the master’s movements: he probably lived in Nuremberg in the final years of the fifteenth century before settling in Vienna, where he established a successful and enduring career. At the heart of the monographic exhibition is Master MS’s most famous work: the former high altarpiece of Saint Catherine’s Church in Banská Štiavnica (1506). The seven surviving panel paintings of this monumental masterpiece of late medieval art have never before been brought together in a single exhibition. The research that preceded the exhibition has also identified additional works by Master MS that had not previously been linked to him and place him in a broader European context, marking out new directions of his artistic influences, and establishing him in the artistic sphere of Albrecht Dürer, Jörg Breu, and Lucas Cranach. Visitors will also get an insight into the meticulous stylistic analysis and attribution process which – forming part of research projects – usually remain hidden from public view. While not all mysteries can be solved from a distance of five centuries, this visually and intellectually stimulating exhibition presents new insights that propose a new understanding of Master MS and the identity of the artist behind this monogram. The first section of the exhibition takes visitors to the turn of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, providing a historical background for Master MS’s career with an overview of the Jagiellonian era. Spanning from 1490 to 1526, this period represents both the final golden age of medieval Hungary and the prelude to its decline. Under the Jagiellonian dynasty, Hungary was the centre of a prominent Central European power and part of a strong system of alliances, with extensive political, commercial and cultural connections integrating it into the broader European landscape. Italian Renaissance and late German Gothic influences coexisted in the Kingdom of Hungary. Besides the artworks, the models and maps included in this exhibition chapter also help visitors to learn about period. Following the historical introduction, the exhibition focuses on the high altarpiece of Banská Štiavnica. This cardinal masterpiece of Master MS, which reflects the needs and potential of the affluent mining town, Banská Štiavnica, must have been a striking sight in its original setting, standing in a church sanctuary. Today, however, we can only reconstruct its former grandeur as the panels (only seven of the original eight altarpiece panels have survived), partly damaged, surfaced in different locations in the early years of the twentieth century: The Visitation was discovered in an attic in Tópatak (now Banský Studenec, Slovakia), The Nativity was found in the parish church of Hontszentantal (now Svätý Anton, Slovakia), and the four Passion scenes came from the collection of Prince Philipp von Coburg of the Castle of Szentantal. The Adoration of the Magi entered the collection of the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Lille via the art market, while three larger-than-life statues, likely also part of the altarpiece, survived in Banská Štiavnica (two of them displayed at our exhibition). Alongside the altarpiece, this section also offers insights into everyday life in the historic mining towns of Upper Hungary. In the section featuring drawings, visitors can see newly attributed works by Master MS. Until recently, only one known work bore his monogram: a drawing in the Musée du Louvre depicting an amorous couple playing music. This work offers great help for the research since, unlike paintings, which often involve the hands of multiple workshop assistants, this drawing provides a direct link to the master’s own technique. Based on the comparison of the draughtsmanship evidenced by this sheet and the style of the Banská Štiavnica altarpiece, curators have identified six additional drawings as autograph works by Master MS, most of which appear to be practice sheets he made during his early years in Nuremberg. This exhibition chapter also highlights the artist’s connection with Albrecht Dürer, demonstrating that Master MS borrowed many elements from Dürer’s early works, namely engravings and drawings, which he only had access to in Nuremberg, where Dürer was active. In addition to drawings, visitors will also see newly attributed paintings. Included among them is the epitaph of Paul Vinck and Anna Heckl, standing out as perhaps the most important new work attributable to Master MS. While its overall composition appears distinct from the Banská Štiavnica panels at first glance, closer examination reveals key similarities. The circumstances of this work’s commission have contributed to a better understanding of the locations where Master MS worked, suggesting that by the early 1500s, he had established his workshop in Vienna, from where he fulfilled the Banská Štiavnica commission. A separate section (The Artist Who Painted the Devil on the Wall) examines a wall painting in the Stephansdom, Vienna, depicting three saints, an ensemble that is also likely to be the work of Master MS. Another section (A Late Master MS?) explores an epitaph from Wiener Neustadt, commissioned for Alexius Funck and Margarethe Stainer in the 1520s, placing it within the evolving trends of Austrian art at the time. In this part of the exhibition the curators put forward a new proposal for the identity of the artist behind the MS monogram: a painter named Michel Schröter, who was active in Vienna. The final section of the exhibition offers a fascinating look at research conducted using state-of-the-art technology to ascertain the techniques and materials Master MS applied in the works now held in Hungary. This spectacular part of the exhibition provides visitors with a glimpse into the complex examinations carried out in restoration workshops on centuries-old masterpieces and how all this contributes to the work of art historians. The Jagiellonian-era historical section is curated by Gergely Buzás, archaeologist and director of the Matthias Corvinus Museum at the Hungarian National Museum. The Master MS section is curated by Gábor Endrődi, art historian and associate professor at Eötvös Loránd University; Manga Pattantyús, art historian and curator of the Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest; and Emese Sarkadi Nagy, art historian at the Christian Museum of Esztergom and associate professor at the Eszterházy Károly Catholic University. Lead sponsor: Szerencsejáték Zrt. Partner: Bartók Spring Co-operating partners: Hotel Oktogon, Volkswagen 1/6 ×