Master FG

Master FG is the conventional designation applied to an unidentified printmaker known to have been active in the first half of the 16th century, specifically between 1520 and 1537. The artist’s documented output consists exclusively of prints, with fifteen individual engravings and etchings represented in major institutional collections.

Master FG specialized in complex compositions focusing on mythological and allegorical narratives drawn from classical sources. Key examples of the artist’s work held in museum collections include the compositions Alexander welcoming Thalestris and the Amazons, and two recorded versions of the narrative scene Jupiter and Antiope. Further examples of the documented Master FG prints include the studies Trophy and Two Gods on a Cloud.

The verifiable existence of these prints is secured through institutional holdings, including works preserved within the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The majority of these 16th-century works are now in the public domain, which facilitates the creation of high-quality prints for modern audiences. Today, researchers and enthusiasts can access downloadable artwork files of these early modern pieces, often available as royalty-free images.