Engraving, circa 1450. 160x121 mm; 6 1/4x4 3/4 inches. Gothic letter P watermark. Ex-collection Graf Yorck van Wartenburg (Lugt 2669, verso); and Dr. Albert W. Blum (Lugt 79b, verso), sold Sotheby's, New York, February 27, 1998. The far upper, lower and right edges restored with the border line redrawn in pen and black ink, the restoration limited to the blank sky upper edge and just into the markings on the ground, lower edge, and extreme right of the composition inside the border line. A superb, strong impression of this exceedingly scarce, early engraving, with all the details distinct and with little to no sign of wear.
Engravings by the Master E.S., which are among the earliest known western engravings ever made, are virtually unobtainable, most now held in public and private collections (we have found fewer than 20 impressions of all Master E.S.'s known engravings at auction in the past 30 years). The only other known impression of this subject in North America is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (accession number 22.83.2, Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, acquired 1922). Lehrs cites only 4 known impressions of this subject.
The Master E.S. is still an unidentified printmaker, likely active in southwestern germany or Switzerland, whose moniker derives from the monogram E. S. that appears on 18 of his approximately 320 known engravings; he was probably the first western artist to sign his prints in this manner. In all likelihood, the Master E.S. was trained as a goldsmith, much like Israel van Meckenem (who was also probably the Master E.S.'s leading assistant, as 41 of his engraving plates passed on to him at his death and were reworked by Meckenem), Martin Schongauer and Albrecht Dürer. He used goldsmith punches in his prints and some of his works are clearly designs for or copied from contemporary metalwork (much like Schongauer's A Censer, see lot 8). The use of engraved monograms was also a standard practice among goldsmiths and silversmiths on their significant metalworks. Master E.S. also engraved two images of Saint Eligius, the patron saint of goldsmiths. Lehrs 17.
