(documented, 1406-1444)
Leading painter of the city of Tournai in Flanders, usually regarded as identical with the socalled "Master of Flémalle," creator of an outstanding painting, the Merode Altarpiece (ca. 1425) that marks a significant break-through from the Flemish paintings of the late-medieval International Gothic style to the mature Franco-Flemish style of the 15th century. The work is also notable for its depicition of prosperous burghers rather than great aristocrats, its sympathetic depiction of St. Joseph as a simple craftsman, and its pioneering use of oil paints instead of the tempera medium typical of medieval painting.
Historical Dictionary of Renaissance. Charles G. Nauert. 2004.