Master E. S.

Little is known about the most important South German engraver before Martin Schongauer. The monogram 'E. S.' on some of his prints, the earliest in the history of the engraving, has not as yet been deciphered. Based on the date on a few late sheets, he has also been called the 'Master of 1466'. His surviving work is comprised of about 320 engravings and possibly a few drawings. Based on stylistic similarities to the art of the Upper Rhine and on inscriptions in Alemannic dialect, it is assumed that he worked along the Upper Rhine or Lake Constance (in Constance?). Engravings by 'Master E. S.', as a rule preserved in only a few exemplars or as unica, exhibit a distinct elegance and inventiveness. Their delicate graphic technique makes it probable that the artist was a goldsmith.