A Masterly Hand / Scientia Artis 9

­ produced them. Moreover, ‘Elsloo’ is used regularly as an adjective, not so much in the sense of Elsloo the place, with its figure of St Anne with the Virgin and Child, but as a reference to the Elsloo group: Elsloo sculpture ( Elsloo statue, Elsloo work), Elsloo oeuvre, Elsloo sculptor (as one of the ­ sculptors of the Elsloo group), Elsloo workshop (as one of the workshops belonging to the Elsloo group) all occur in these pages. The theoretical ­ framework of this naming will be discussed in further depth in the Conclusion. The issue is also referred to in several of the articles, in which case the authors explain their particular interpretations. In art-historical terms we still know fairly little about the area – the wider central Meuse region – where Elsloo works are preserved, notwithstanding the very large number of fifteenth- and sixteenth-century sculptures that survive there. Up until now art-historical enquiry, increasingly supplemented by ­ archival research, has focused mainly on surrounding artistic centres in ­ Brabant (Brussels, Antwerp, Mechelen) or the Lower Rhine (Kalkar, Cleves) or on large cities such as Utrecht and Cologne. Other than the unique case study of the Maastricht sculptor Jan van Steffeswert, such research on the central Meuse region has been distinctly lacking. There are still many ‘Masters’ awaiting consideration, such as the sixteenth-century Master of Oostham. The 1990 Sint-Truiden exhibition catalogue made a start with the inventorying of Limburg’s late-Gothic sculptural heritage and a sketch of the Limburg ­ situation, but it entailed no further investigation – of archives, for example, or the materials and techniques used. With this new case study about the ­ so-called Master of Elsloo we aim to take another step forwards. The intention of this study was not only to find out more about this fascinating ‘ Master’ and ‘his’ masterfully carved and engaging work; we also felt it was important to bring the underlying issues to the surface and to clarify them if we could. At the same time we aimed to develop methodologies that can be used for future studies connected with sculpture. Finally, we hope our endeav- ours will arouse interest in this still fairly unknown but exceptional piece of artistic heritage. For increased interest will lead to increased appreciation, which is essential if this splendid legacy is to be preserved for posterity.