The Master of the Story of Griselda was an Italian artist who specialized in panel paintings.
He worked in Umbria around 1490 and probably spent time in Siena.
There is no evidence of him after 1500.
He received his notname from a group of paintings depicting the story of Griselda, as recounted by Giovanni Boccaccio in his Decameron.
Master of the Story of Griselda | Joseph of Egypt or Eunustos of Tangara c.1493-4 | National Gallery of Art, Washington
The works are classified as spalliere and belonged to the Piccolominis or the Spannocchis.
At that time, prominent families often commissioned panel paintings for their private rooms; or to celebrate weddings and births.
His work appears to match the type of paintings that would be desired.
His three known panels on Griselda are at the National Gallery in London.
Master of the Story of Griselda | Alexander the Great, 1494 | Barber Institute of Fine Arts
Master of the Story of Griselda | Tiberius Gracchus c. 1493-4 | Budapest MFA
The cycle of famous people consisted of eight panels; four of which were by the Master.
They have been separated: Artemisia is in the Museo Poldi Pezzoli (Milan), Alexander the Great is in the Barber Institute of Fine Arts (Birmingham), Joseph is in the National Gallery of Art (Washington D.C.) and Tiberius Gracchus is in the Szépművészeti Múzeum (Budapest).
Master of the Story of Griselda | Artemisia, 1498 | Museo Poldi Pezzoli, Milano
The series: Spalliera Panels with the Story of Patient Griselda
Three long panels illustrate the story of a young peasant woman, Griselda, as told in The Decameron, a fourteenth-century collection of novellas by the Italian author Boccaccio.
They were likely destined to decorate the chambers (or camera) of a newly-wed couple, since the tale celebrates a woman’s loyalty and marital fidelity, against the odds.
It is very likely that these panels were commissioned at the time of the marriages of two brothers of the noble Sienese Spannocchi family, which took place in January 1494.
Their father, Ambrogio, was the papal banker to Pius II Piccolomini, also from Siena.
Our panels have been connected with two others of a similar shape and size at Longleat House, Wiltshire, which depict ancient leaders Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar.
They are attributed to the workshop of the Florentine painters Domenico and Davide Ghirlandaio.
The picture of Alexander the Great included the Spanocchi coat of arms. | Source: © National Gallery, London
Master of the Story of Griselda | The Story of Griselda. Part I: Marriage | National Gallery, London
This panel, the first of a series of three in the National Gallery’s collection, shows part of the story of Griselda, a young peasant woman.
We see her meet and then marry the Marquis Gualtieri di Saluzzo, who would go on to put her through a series of tests.
Her loyalty throughout the ordeal earned her fame and respect, and she became a model of wifely virtue.
At the left, Griselda, a pot on her head, is on her way to fetch water from the well.
The Marquis, riding an elegant white horse, sees her and falls in love instantly.
To the right, we see Griselda stripped naked, the Marquis handing her new clothes to wear for their wedding.
In the centre, the two are married in front of a structure that looks like a triumphal Roman arch, topped with horses and male figures; Griselda is dressed in expensive gold-woven fabrics that match those of the Marquis. | Source: © National Gallery, London
Master of the Story of Griselda | The Story of Griselda. Part II: Exile | National Gallery, London
The story of a peasant woman called Griselda was told in The Decameron, a book written in the mid-fourteenth century.
She was put through a series of tests by her rich husband, the Marquis Gualtieri di Saluzzo – we see three of them in this painting.
In the background on the left, two tiny babies in white swaddling bandages are secretly carried away; the Marquis told Griselda he had ordered their children to be killed.
Next, he pretended that he had annulled their marriage, and Griselda can be seen in the centre returning her wedding ring.
She appears again in the next arcade, half-undressed: now divorced she returns her beautiful clothes and, wearing only her underdress, returns to her father’s house.
Loyal throughout her ordeal, Griselda became a model of wifely virtue.
This panel is one of three commissioned for a room in the Spanocchi family palace in Siena, probably made to celebrate two family marriages which took place in January 1494. | Source: © National Gallery, London
Master of the Story of Griselda | The Story of Griselda. Part III: Reunion | National Gallery, London
The Decameron, a fourteenth-century collection of stories, tells the tale of Griselda, a peasant woman who was put through a series of tests by her rich husband, the Marquis Gualtieri di Saluzzo.
This is the final panel of a series of three; it shows the couple’s reunion after Griselda’s ordeal.
After pretending to annul their marriage, the Marquis tells Griselda he is marrying again and asks her to arrange the wedding feast; we see her at the far left of the painting, sweeping the floor.
At the far right, Griselda greets the woman posing as the Marquis' new wife.
Eventually, the Marquis reveals his tests and is reunited with Griselda; her loyalty has renewed his love for her, and the celebration becomes their own.
The three panels were commissioned for a room in the Spanocchi family palace in Siena, and were probably made to celebrate two family marriages which took place in January 1494. | Source: © National Gallery, London
Il Maestro di Griselda, noto anche come Maestro della Leggenda di Santa Griselda, è stato un pittore Italiano attivo a Siena nel XV secolo.
Egli trae il nome da tre dossali con storie dell'omonima eroina dell'antichità conservati alla National Gallery a Londra (nn. inv. 912, 913, 914: Davies, 1961, pp. 365-367).
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