Johann Koerbecke

Johann Koerbecke (c. 1415/20, Coesfeld or Münster - 13 June 1491, Münster) was a German Gothic painter of the Westphalian School. He is believed to have worked with the Master of the Schöppingen Altarpiece and the . He was the first painter from Westphalia who can be named.

Life and work His presence is attested to for the first time in 1443, when he and his wife, Elsa, took possession of his father's house in Münster. It is likely that he studied with his father, Heinrich, and another local artist, in the 1430s. Nothing is known of Heinrich's work, although his acquisition of the house and workshop is attested to in 1435.

Johann is mentioned several times, between 1453 and 1484, in documents from Münster, including invoices for altarpieces and as a witness to marriages and other legal contracts. In 1460, he appears on the list of members of the "Confrérie de Notre-Dame de l'église Saint-Gilles". Altogether, the documents establish that he was a well-situated member of the bourgeoisie. After his death in 1491, an obituary states that he was from Coesfeld, but this may refer to his family, rather than him specifically. Elsa retained possession of the house and workshop until 1495. He had two sons; Heinrich, who joined the clergy, and Hermann, who was also a painter.

The Marienfeld Altar

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