Fine Art Presentations

 An e.Gallery for Artists
Il Tedesco (Adam Elsheimer) [German, 1578-1610] 

Home

Index

Search

Contact

About

Artists

Nationality

Collections

Movements

Centuries

 Navigate: Home → Alphabetical  → Elsheimer Adam  [Link Partners]  [Help]    Help support the e.Gallery!   

Il Tedesco (Adam Elsheimer) [German, 1578-1610]


[ Biography | 17th Century Artists | Baroque Artists | Landscape Artists ]
portrait

Adam Elsheimer (1578–1610), was a German painter, etcher, and draughtsman, active mainly in Italy. Although he died young and his output was small he played a key role in the development of 17th-century landscape painting.

He was born in Frankfurt, where he absorbed the Coninxloo tradition, and moved to Italy in 1598. In Venice he worked with his countryman Rottenhammer, then settled in Rome in 1600. His early Mannerist style gave way to a more direct manner in which he showed great sensitivity to effects of light; his nocturnal scenes are particularly original, bringing out the best in his lyrical temperament, and he is credited with being the first artist to represent the constellations of the night sky accurately (The Flight into Egypt, Alte Pinakothek, Munich, 1609). He painted a few pictures in which figures predominate, but generally they are fused into a harmonious unity with their landscape settings. They are invariably on a small scale and on copper (the only exception is a self-portrait in the Uffizi, Florence, of doubtful attribution), but although exquisitely executed they have a grandeur out of all proportion to their size.

Elsheimer achieved fame during his lifetime and there are numerous contemporary copies of his works. His paintings were engraved by his pupil and patron, the Dutch amateur artist Count Hendrick Goudt (1573–1648), and Elsheimer himself made a number of etchings. In spite of his popularity he was personally unsuccessful and died in poverty. Sandrart says he suffered from melancholia and was often unable to work; apparently he was imprisoned for debt. Rubens was a friend of Elsheimer and after his death lamented his ‘sin of sloth, by which he has deprived the world of the most beautiful things;’ he also wrote ‘I have never seen his equal in the realm of small figures, of landscapes, and of so many other subjects.;’

Both Rubens (Staatliche Kunstsammlungen, Kassel) and Rembrandt (National Gallery, Dublin) made paintings of The Flight into Egypt inspired by Elsheimer's masterpiece, and his influence is apparent in the work of many other 17th-century artists.

[*] RS Archive pages at Powell's Books

  Il Tedesco (Adam Elsheimer) [German, 1578-1610]

bLog Link

More info from ArtCyclopedia 



No Galleries
Previous Level Top Level

(3 Images, Page 1 of 1)
Size: 92 KB [thumbnail of stchristopher.jpg]
Dims: 547 x 750
Type: JPG
File: stchristopher.jpg
Title: St. Christopher
  
Size: 83 KB [thumbnail of flight.jpg]
Dims: 782 x 558
Type: JPG
File: flight.jpg
Title: The Flight into Egypt
Size: 133 KB [thumbnail of glorific.jpg]
Dims: 546 x 752
Type: JPG
File: glorific.jpg
Title: The Glorification of the Cross
  
(3 Images, Page 1 of 1)

RS Bookstore Books Ad
Image 9781936367672.jpgMarkerRubiconMarker
by Rudolf Steiner
20.00
Image 9780880104128.jpgMarkerThe Essentials of EducationMarker
by Rudolf Steiner
16.95
Image 9781855844148.jpgMarkerFrom Sympton to Reality in Modern Histo...Marker
by Rudolf Steiner
25.00
Image 9780880106283.jpgMarkerSoul ExercisesMarker
by Rudolf Steiner
35.00

Some Fine Print: All images, pictures, etc. contained here are gleaned from Usenet, or some other public access archive. We believe all entries to be in the public domain and, therefore, are without restriction for personal use. Should you want to use any image on this site for commercial purposes, you will need to consult with a competent attorney to determine your rights. If you see errors or omissions (e.g., missing artists, artist not cross-referenced by century or ethnicity), or if you own the copyright to an image displayed here, please contact us.


 Fine Art Presentations v1.6a
 Copyright 1990-2024 The e.Lib, Inc. 
No previous access to this page.
Page was last updated on Saturday November 30, 2024 at 16:40:40.
Powered by Thinking! [Valid RSS]