( fl c. 1400–10). Illuminator, active in the southern Netherlands. He is named after a series of remarkable miniatures with hagiographic scenes in the Beaufort Hours (London, BL, Royal MS. 2. A. XVIII), in which HERMAN SCHEERRE painted an Annunciation, accompanied by his motto. The Master of the Beaufort Saints also illuminated another Book of Hours with Scheerre (Oxford, Bodleian Lib., MS. lat. liturg. f.2), which suggests that they worked in the same workshop. His style is quite different from that of Scheerre, however, but it fits in directly with south Netherlandish miniature painting and also shows an affinity with the work of Melchior Broederlam. It seems likely, therefore, that the Master was of south Netherlandish origin. Apart from blue, red and pink, his lively palette includes contrasting colours, for example deep red and yellow or yellow and green. The compositions are dynamic, with powerful, divergent lines, and the faces are well modelled, usually with special accents on the nose and at the corners of the mouth. This style recurs in a number of manuscripts, including a Missal in Antwerp (Mus. Plantin–Moretus, MS. 15.8/192), a Book of Hours in London (BL, Add. MS. 18213; with Flemish rubrics), a Psalter in Le Mans (Bib. Mun., MS. B. 249) and a Book of Hours at Stonyhurst, Lancs (MS. 70). It was once thought that he visited England and illuminated Books of Hours for English patrons; however, more recent research has shown that he probably did not leave the Netherlands but that his miniatures were sent to England to be incorporated in manuscripts. Later, he worked with the GOLD SCROLLS GROUP (see below).

Part of the Masters, anonymous, and monogrammists family

• Beaufort Saints, Master of the
  • Belgium, §III, 2(ii): Manuscript illumination, 1400–c 1550