( fl second half of the 15th century). Spanish painter. He painted a small triptych (c. 1470–75; Madrid, Mus. Lázaro Galdiano), which shows on the interior the Nativity, the Annunciation to the Shepherds and the Magi’s Vision of the Star; on the exterior is the Annunciation. The Master of Ávila may possibly have visited the Netherlands, because the painting is an adaptation of the Middleburg triptych of the Nativity (Berlin, Gemäldegal.) attributed to Rogier van der Weyden; Netherlandish influence is also apparent in the Virgin’s draperies and the orange-yellows and reds in St Joseph’s coat, which are typical of the Master of Flémalle. The Master of Ávila also evidently painted several works for Ávila (hence his name), including a panel of the Meeting of Joachim and Anna at the Golden Gate in the north transept of S Vicente, and three panels of the Meeting at the Golden Gate, Christ among the Doctors and the Death of the Virgin in the parish church of Barco de Ávila. The Master was a technically accomplished artist, who fused virile types with a gentle and fresh way of looking at things (Post). Attempts have been made to identify him with Pedro Díaz de Oviedo (Mayer) and García de Barco ( fl c. 1476; Tormo), who came from the region where the paintings were found, but neither identification has been generally accepted.

Part of the Masters, anonymous, and monogrammists family

• Ávila, Master of
  • Masters, anonymous, and monogrammists, §I: Master of St Ildefonso