Die Zürcher Nelkenmeister

Towards the end of the 15th century, two workshops in Zurich created sacred paintings that are "signed" with cloves and represent a final highlight of late Gothic art production. While it is believed that the first of these Clove Masters was a member of the painter dynasty Zeiner, the second is most likely Hans Leu the Elder, to whom we owe the first major topographical view of Zurich. His son, Hans Leu the Younger, added the clove mark to a final altarpiece and stands at the transition from the late medieval painting tradition to Renaissance art. In this first comprehensive monograph on the Zurich Clove Masters in over ninety years, Ulrich Gerster, art historian and Clove Master expert Charlotte Gutscher-Schmid, and historian Martin Illi present the last bloom of late Gothic creation through nearly 500 illustrations. The representation of this significant chapter in Swiss art history is complemented by a complete catalog of works, which encompasses the entire oeuvre of the Zurich Clove Masters.