Master I.S.: Enigmatic Contemporary of Rembrandt

One of the greatest mysteries of 17th-century Dutch art is the identity of the artist who signed his works with the initials I.S. Although his known body of work is relatively small, paintings by this enigmatic master are housed in major art collections. A member of Rembrandt’s circle, Master I.S. is best known for his portraits of elderly figures and scholars in their studios.

While his paintings show clear influences from other Leiden artists such as Rembrandt, Jan Lievens, and Gerrit Dou, the clothing and facial features of his sitters suggest intriguing connections to Scandinavia and Eastern Europe.

The exhibition and research project Monogrammist I.S. – Rembrandt’s Enigmatic Contemporary is a collaboration between Serlachius Museum Gösta in Finland and Museum De Lakenhal in Leiden, the Netherlands.

This book is the first comprehensive study ever published on the work of Master I.S. Edited by the exhibition curators Tomi Moisio and Janneke van Asperen, it also features illuminating essays by leading Dutch art scholars, Professors Volker Manuth and Marieke de Winkel, who have studied this mysterious artist for years.