Oil painting -> List of Painters -> Albrecht Altdorfer
EARLY DAYS:
Albrecht Altdorfer (1480 - 1538) is one of the most celebrated of the German Renaissance painters. He was born in Regensburg, a city in Bavaria, and is best known for his detailed landscape paintings. His work is often associated with the Danube School, a group of artists who specialized in landscape painting in Upper Germany in the early 16th century.
Altdorfer's artistic career began in 1510 when he became a member of the painters' guild in Regensburg. It was here that he learned the skills of painting and drawing, as well as the techniques of fresco and panel painting. He developed a particularly distinctive style of landscape painting, characterized by its vivid colours and intricate details. He was particularly renowned for his painting of the Danube River and its surrounding landscape, as well as his depictions of battles and religious scenes.
Altdorfer's earliest known work is a series of landscape paintings he completed in 1511. He painted a series of scenes featuring the Danube River, which he continued to explore in his later works. His landscapes often feature a dreamy, romantic atmosphere, with the use of bright colours and intricate details.
In 1512, Altdorfer painted a series of religious works, including the famous Passion of Christ. This painting was the first depiction of the Crucifixion in German art, and it was an instant success. The painting was praised for its technical excellence and its emotional impact, and it solidified Altdorfer's place as one of the leading painters of the German Renaissance.
Altdorfer also painted a series of battle scenes, including the Battle of Alexander in 1529. These works were praised for their dramatic compositions and the use of intense colours. He also painted a series of religious works, including a series of altarpieces and many portraits of religious figures.
Altdorfer's work was highly influential in the development of landscape painting, and he was a major figure in the German Renaissance. He was a founding member of the Danube School, and his works have been highly praised for their technical skill and emotional impact. Altdorfer's legacy lives on in the many landscape paintings that have followed in his footsteps.
Personal Details:
CAREER:
Albrecht Altdorfer (c. 1480-1538) was one of the most important German painters of the late Gothic period and the early Renaissance. He is considered to be the founder of the Danube School, a term referring to a group of German and Austrian painters working in the same style of painting.
Altdorfer was born in Regensburg, Bavaria, in the late 15th century. He was trained by his father in painting and woodcarving. He is considered to have been the first German artist to use the technique of chiaroscuro, the use of light and dark to create a sense of depth in a painting. He is also credited with introducing the use of landscape in painting, a style of painting that would become popular in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Altdorfer's often featured scenes from the Danube river valley. He was also a prolific portrait painter, often depicting religious figures and royalty. He was also the first painter to use printmaking as an artistic medium, creating copperplate engravings of his paintings.
Altdorfer's career was greatly influenced by the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I, who was a great admirer of his work. Maximilian I commissioned Altdorfer to create a series of paintings for his court, including a series of portraits of himself and his family.
Altdorfer's influence was also felt in the art of his contemporaries. He was a major influence on the Italian painter Albrecht Dürer, who was a student of his for a brief period of time. His work was also admired by the great German painter Lucas Cranach the Elder, who was known for his portraits and religious works.
Altdorfer was also a master of miniature painting and illumination, often creating miniature paintings of religious scenes and illuminated manuscripts. He also produced numerous woodcuts and engravings, including the famous woodcut of the Danube valley.
Altdorfer's career was cut short by his death in 1538, but his influence continued to be felt in the art of the German Renaissance. His work is still exhibited in museums around the world, and he remains an important figure in the history of German art.
WORKS OF ALBRECHT ALTDORFER:
 |  |
 |
Albrecht Altdorfer (c. 1480 near Regensburg – February 12, 1538 in Regensburg) was a painter, the leader of the Danubian School in southern Germany, and a contemporary of Albrecht Dürer.
He was a landscape painter of religious and mythological representations; most famously also for painting landscapes for their beauty and not as illustrating any story or parable, perhaps the first "pure" landscape painter.
His "Battle of Arbela" adorns the Münich Picture Gallery.
