Albrecht Altdorfer
Albrecht Altdorfer was a notable German painter and engraver born around 1480 in Bavaria, now part of modern Germany. Influenced by his father, a painter himself, Altdorfer became a prominent figure in the early Renaissance art scene. He settled in Regensburg around 1505, where he began selling works that included unconventional themes, such as witchcraft and historical narratives. His artistic output is significant for introducing independent landscape paintings, a departure from the traditional use of landscapes as mere backdrops. Works like "Landscape with a Footbridge" and "Mountain Landscape at Sunset" exemplify this innovation. Altdorfer also created religious and historical paintings, with "The Battle of Alexander at Issus" being one of his most acclaimed pieces. Beyond painting, he engaged in architecture and civic duties, serving on the town council and as Regensburg's mayor. He contributed to the Danube school of landscape painting, influencing subsequent artists in the region. Altdorfer passed away in 1538, leaving behind a legacy that underscored the beauty of nature in art.
Albrecht Altdorfer
Painter, engraver, and architect
- Born: ca. 1480
- Birthplace: Bavaria, Germany
- Died: February 12, 1538
- Place of death: Regensburg, Germany
Significance: Albrecht Altdorfer was a German artist known for his atmospheric depictions of landscapes and biblical and historical subjects. Altdorfer was a member of the Danube school, an artistic tradition that was the first in Europe to focus on natural landscapes.
Background
Albrecht Altdorfer was born around 1480 in Bavaria, a region that is now the largest state of modern Germany. Many accounts claim he was influenced to become an artist by his father, Ulrich Altdorfer. Ulrich Altdorfer was a painter and miniaturist, which is an artist who specializes in small, intricate works. Little else is known of Albrecht Altdorfer's early life or if he received any formal artistic training. Records indicate that in 1505 he became a resident of Regensburg, a city in Bavaria on the banks of the Danube River.
Life's Work
Altdorfer sold his first works in approximately 1506. These were primarily engravings and drawings that featured unconventional subject matter. Among them were Witches' Sabbath, a pen-and-ink drawing of a ritual gathering of witches; and Landsknecht and Prostitute, a pen-and-ink depiction of a German mercenary solider greeting a prostitute. Altdorfer's early paintings were mostly religious in nature. His 1506 oil-on-canvas work, Beheading of St. Catherine, portrayed the martyrdom of fourth-century Saint Catherine of Alexandria. In 1507, an oil painting on wooden panel depicted both the penitence of Saint Jerome and the stigmata of Saint Francis. Stigmata are injuries that correspond to the wounds Jesus Christ suffered during his crucifixion.
Around 1510, Altdorfer is believed to have traveled to the Alps region of northern Italy. He was said to have been influenced by the grand scenery of the region and the works of Italian painter Andrea Mantegna. Mantegna was known for his precise detail and his strict dedication to the classical art styles of ancient Greece and Rome.
Altdorfer returned to Regensburg, and in 1513, he bought his first of three homes in the city. He began working as a commissioned artist for Emperor Maximilian I of the Holy Roman Empire. He was also later commissioned by Duke William IV of Bavaria. His art work and commissions made him a wealthy man, and he also owned several vineyards near Regensburg.
Altdorfer is noted as the first European painter to produce independent landscapes. Previous artists had used landscapes as backgrounds for their main subjects; Altdorfer painted landscapes with minimal or no foreground subjects. He used colors, light, and shadow to depict the brooding atmosphere of the region's thick forests and the beauty of sunsets and moonlight. Among the examples of such works are Landscape with a Footbridge, painted around 1518 to 1520, and Mountain Landscape at Sunset, created around 1522. Landscape with a Footbridge is considered to be the first independent landscape painting ever done in oil.
In addition to his landscapes, Altdorfer continued to paint images with religious and historical themes. Some, such as 1512's A Crucifixion, placed the death of Jesus on the cross in front of majestic river scenery. Other notable works by Altdorfer include Saint George in the Forest (1510), in which a dark forest dominates the duel between Saint George and a dragon; and The Battle of Alexander at Issus, a portrayal of the fourth-century BCE victory of Alexander the Great over the Persian king Darius III. Produced in 1529, the painting is considered to be Altdorfer's most well-known work.
Altdorfer was also an accomplished engraver and printmaker. He was influenced by the work of German artist Albrecht Dürer. Many of the small, intricate woodcuts and etchings Altdorfer created incorporated his love of landscapes. Among the most famous examples of Altdorfer's engravings are a series of forty woodcut panels known as the Fall and Redemption of Man.
In 1519, Altdorfer was elected to the Regensburg town council. In 1526, he was appointed as official city architect. He was known to have designed the city's wine cellars, slaughterhouses, and fortifications, but little of his work survived into the modern era. Altdorfer is sometimes credited with helping design the Zur Schonen Madonna, a Protestant church in Regensburg. Now known as the Neupfarrkirche, the structure is the oldest Protestant church in the city. His interest in architecture was also reflected in his artwork, especially the structures in the paintings Susanna in the Bath and the Stoning of the Elders (1526), and Allegory of Riches and Poverty (1531).
Altdorfer was elected mayor of Regensburg in 1528. Some accounts say he took a leave of absence from the position so he could finish The Battle of Alexander for Duke William IV. Altdorfer continued to work until his death on February 12, 1538. At the time of his death, his will consisted of a twenty-page inventory of his estate—an indication of his great wealth. He was buried in the church at St. Augustine's Monastery in Erfurt, Germany.
Impact
Altdorfer was instrumental in creating an artistic tradition of landscape painting known as the Danube school. The tradition briefly flourished in Germany and Austria in the early sixteenth century. The school focused landscapes for the sake of their natural beauty alone. In addition to Altdorfer, artists such as Lucas Cranach the Elder and Wolf Huber drew inspiration for their work from the forested hills of the Danube River valley between Nuremberg and Vienna. The artists worked in several mediums, including painting, drawing, etching, and woodcuts.
Personal Life
Altdorfer was married in 1513. His brother, Erhard Altdorfer, was also an artist who worked as a painter and engraver.
Principal Works: Paintings
- Beheading of St. Catherine, 1506
- Landscape with a Footbridge, c. 1518 to 1520
- Mountain Landscape at Sunset, c. 1522
- Stoning of the Elders, 1526
- The Battle of Alexander at Issus, 1529
- Allegory of Riches and Poverty, 1531
Principal Works: Woodcuts
- Fall and Redemption of Man, c. 1513
Bibliography
"Albrecht Altdorfer." The Art History Archive, www.arthistoryarchive.com/arthistory/christian/Albrecht-Altdorfer.html. Accessed 5 Feb. 2018.
"Albrecht Altdorfer." J. Paul Getty Museum, www.getty.edu/art/collection/artists/567/albrecht-altdorfer-german-about-1480-1538/. Accessed 5 Feb. 2018.
"Albrecht Altdorfer." National Gallery of Art, www.nga.gov/collection/artist-info.72.html. Accessed 5 Feb. 2018.
"Albrecht Altdorfer—Artworks." The Athenaeum, www.the-athenaeum.org/art/list.php?m=a&s=tu&aid=601. Accessed 5 Feb. 2018.
"Albrecht Altdorfer (1480–1538)." Visual-Arts-Cork.com, www.visual-arts-cork.com/old-masters/albrecht-altdorfer.htm. Accessed 5 Feb. 2018.
"The Danube School (c.1490–1540)." Visual-Arts-Cork.com, www.visual-arts-cork.com/history-of-art/danube-school.htm. Accessed 5 Feb. 2018.
Tsaneva, Maria. Albrecht Altdorfer: 102 Paintings and Drawings. Lulu Press, 2014.
Wood, Christopher S. Albrecht Altdorfer and the Origins of Landscape. Reaktion Books, 2nd ed., 2014.