Altdorfer, Albrecht

Altdorfer, Albrecht (äl'brekht ältdôr'fur) [key], 1480–1538, German painter and engraver. He served as city architect of Regensburg, where much of his life was spent. Although influenced by Dürer, Altdorfer's works are less severe in mood. Altdorfer may have been the first German to paint pure landscape, of which the Danube Landscape at Regensburg (1522–25) is typical. His varied subject matter included allegorical and biblical themes such as Susannah at the Bath (1526) and Birth of the Virgin (c.1521). The Battle of Alexander (1529) displays his penchant for detailed, panoramic vistas. All four works are in the Alte Pinakothek, Munich. Equally skilled at woodcutting and engraving, Altdorfer often executed one subject in a variety of media.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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