GERB, MASTER OF

Techniques

Sculpture.

Profile and historiographical debate

The so-called Master of Gerb is a painter that was highly influenced by the Catalan painters Jaume Cascalls and Bartolomé Rubió, both of whom are from Lleida.

The Catalan altarpiece of Gerb (Noguera) has been repeatedly associated with sculpture from Lleida. Initially, Agustí Duran Sanpere attributed this altarpiece to Bartomeu Rubió, but he inmediatedly changed his mind and decided to attribute it to an artist from the Escola de Lleida. Francesca Español acknowledged the strong relationship between this altarpiece and Bartomeu de Rubió’s artistic production and she considered a potential link with Jaume Cascalls’ artistic production. It is worth considering that Jaume Cascalls worked in Lleida around 1360. Pere Beseran identified Guillem Solivella with the anonymous Master of Gerb, even though he had not been associated with any works yet. As a result, Beseran declined the identification of Guillem Solivella, who could be placed at Gerb in 1383, as the Master of Albesa. He highlighted the documentary relationship between Guillem Solivella and Jaume Cascalls as well as their professional and personal bond. Master of Gerb’s catalogue raisonné has been repeteadly discussed.

Text: Montse Barniol.

Works

Works associated with Gerb's altarpiece

• Altarpiece of the Mare de Déu i sant Antoni Abat de Gerb from Os de Balaguer, la Noguera, (MNAC, inv. n. 25071).
• Funerary statues of Gerb, disappeared.
• Altarpiece of Santa María de Castelló de Farfanya (la Noguera).
• Statue of St. Úrsula from Gerb (MNAC inv. n. 23000).
• Statue of unknown saint from Llardecans (el Segrià), which was probably lost during the CSpanish Civil War (1936-1939).
• Keystone of Bishop Guerau de Requesen from the Seu Vella de Lleida (Segrià) depicting the Virgin with Child.
• Statue of a Bearded saint in the rib of the vault of the same chapel.

Patrons

• Cathedral Chapter of la Seu Vella de Lleida. Bishop Guerau de Recasens (1387-1399) (?)