( fl Middle Rhineland, c. 1470–1500). German printmaker, draughtsman and painter. The most important works attributed to him are two groups, from which he derives his two alternative names: the so-called Medieval Housebook (Swabia, Waldburg-Wolfegg priv. col., see 1985 exh. cat., no. 117), an illustrated manuscript with 40 pen-and-ink drawings of profane themes, and a group of 89 drypoints, the majority preserved in the print room of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. To this corpus many varied works of art have been added, including woodcuts, paintings, miniatures, sculptures and stained-glass windows. Over the past century debate concerning the Master’s oeuvre as well as his identification has earned him the accolade of being the most argued-about German artist of the 15th century.

Part of the Masters, anonymous, and monogrammists family

• Housebook Master
  • Allegory, §III, 3: Medieval: 14th and 15th centuries
  • Haller, Jost
  • Masters, anonymous, and monogrammists, §III: Master W<Schlangenstab>B;
  • Stained glass, §II, 1(iv): 1300–1539
  • attributions
    • Schongauer: (1) Martin Schongauer, §1(i)(a): Paintings: Early attributions, before c 1465
  • reproductive prints by others
    • Masters, anonymous, and monogrammists, §III: Master ?
  • works
    • Drypoint, §2: History
    • Germany, §III, 2(i)(a): Painting and graphic arts: `International’ and Late Gothic
    • Germany, §III, 2(i)(b): Painting and graphic arts: `International’ and Late Gothic: Graphic arts
    • Masters, anonymous, and monogrammists, §I: Housebook Master, §2(ii): The Housebook
    • Prints, §II, 1(iv): Subject-matter, before c 1700: Genre