Albrecht Altendorfer

Altendorf bei Landshut 1488 - Regensburg 1538


The German painter, copperplate engraver and printmaker Albrecht Altendorfer was born in 1488. In 1511 became a member of the "inner council" and town planning officer in Regensburg. With his artwork, Altendorfer is said to be one of the most important and most characteristic successors of Albrecht Dürer, whose artistic style he had studied intensively and then developed further independently.
Albrecht Altendorfer became one of the oldest German landscape painters. In his work he developed the Romanticism of his time with poetic charm and fairytale-like grace. He displayed a cornucopia of imagination, paired with a mischieveous humor, careful implementation, sharp characteristics and truthful expression.
Albrecht Altendorfer's most important painting is the picture "Der Sieg Alexander des Großen über Darius", which can be seen in the Munich Pinakothek. Further important works by Altendorfer can be seen in Munich, Ausgburg, Nuremberg, Berlin, Regensburg and Vienna.
Albrecht Altendorfer's copperplate engravings are as refined and expressive as his paintings. In his recorded 96 copperplate engravings and 63 woodcuts he depicted objects from the Holy Script, Roman history and mythology. He also depicted landscapes and portraits. Due to his small formats, Altendorfer is said to be one of the so-called "Kleinmeister".
Some of his best woodcuts are without a doubt "Die schöne Maria zu Regensburg", "Der Sündenfall" and "Die Erlösung" in 40 pages, which had wrongly been attributed to Dürer and were reprinted and published in 1604.
Albrecht Altendorfer died in Regensburg in 1511.

Paul Valéry
La Fontaine, Adonis
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