Master IB

Master IB is the scholarly designation given to an anonymous European printmaker active during the mid-to-late 15th century, with an established working period spanning 1450 to 1500. This timeframe places the artist within the foundational era of printmaking in Northern Europe.

The artist is known exclusively for their production of graphic works. Fifteen prints attributed to Master IB are represented in museum collections, confirming the artist’s significance as an early master of the medium. The body of work demonstrates proficiency across various genres, including religious narrative and secular scenes.

The surviving oeuvre includes devotional works such as Christ Consoling the Centurion, Christ Stilling the Storm, and Christ with Three of His Apostles. Alongside these religious subjects, Master IB executed genre and allegorical compositions, exemplified by Bagpipe Player with His Lover and the single figure study Fortitudo.

The work of Master IB is preserved in major institutions, notably the National Gallery of Art. Today, historical high-quality prints by this master are increasingly being digitized, making artwork derived from originals that are now in the public domain accessible for researchers and enthusiasts.