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Rome and Bamboccianti
Rottenhammer introduced Elsheimer to the early members of the Bamboccianti,
a group of Northern European artists that were living in Rome. The Bamboccianti
specialised in genre-painting.
They were mostly Dutch and Flemish and practised traditional Netherlandish
Art, depicting peasants in natural landscapes. They also created small
cabinet paintings and etchings from everyday life of the working classes.
Many of the artists were also members of the Bentvueghels arts
group (Dutch for 'Birds of a Feather') which included painters, sculptors
and poets. The Bamboccianti included the artists Karel Dujardin,
Johannes Lingelbach, Thomas Wijck, Dirck Helmbreker and Jacob van Staveren.
The group went on to influence Rococo artists Giacomo Ceruti, Alessandro
Magnasco and Antonio Cifrondi. Rottenhammer introduced Elsheimer to Paul
Brill, a Flemish artist part of the Bamboccianti, and the two became
close friends. Elsheimer may also have known about the paintings of Albrecht
Altdorfer (1480-1538) and the Danube
School of landscape painting (c.1490-1530), which may have influenced
him.
Venetian Paintings
While in Venice, Elsheimer produced some important works, including The
Baptism of Christ (1599, National Gallery, London) and The Holy
Family (c.1600, Gemaldegalerie, Berlin). These first paintings show
influences of his Master Rottenhammer, and the Venetian painters Tintoretto
(1518-1594) and Paolo Veronese (1528-1588),
in composition, colour and brushstroke. Elsheimer's painting Saint
Paul on Malta (c.1600, National Gallery, London) shows a highly evocative
night scene, where Saint Paul and his companions are shipwrecked on an
island. According to the bible, the event happened during the day, but
Elsheimer must have preferred to experiment with night landscapes.
Rome Paintings
In early 1600, Elsheimer arrived in Rome and, using Rottenhammer's contacts,
became friends with a large circle of artists, including Paul Brill, who
introduced him to Rubens, and Ruben's pupil David Teniers the Elder. Apparently
Rubens berated Elsheimer for not producing enough works. Around 1604 the
author Karel van Mander, returning from Rome published his book Schilder-Boeck,
praising Elsheimer's paintings. The writer described the artist as a slow
worker, who sketched few drawings and spent most of his time in churches
studying the religious paintings. In 1606 Elsheimer painted Aurora
(Herzog Anton Ulrich-Museum) and in 1607 Apollo and Coronis (Walker
Art Gallery, Liverpool).
Flight into Egypt
Painted in 1609, oil on Copper (Alte Pinakothek, Munich), Flight into
Egypt is perhaps Elsheimer's most famous work. Small in scale, it
is a beautiful night scene. There are four sources of light which illuminate
the landscape, the moon, the moon's reflection in the water, a campfire
and a torch in the hand of Joseph, who is leading a donkey with Mary and
the child. The eye is drawn from the moon, down to the lake, across to
the Holy Family and then finally settles on the camp fire. The artist
has managed to simultaneously create a sense of danger and comfort, by
means of light, shadow and values poised between tenebrism and
chiaroscuro. One of the key components of the picture is the mastery
with which he depicts the starry night. Not only can several constellations
be discerned, but for perhaps the first time ever in a painting, the correct
depiction of the Milky Way is displayed.
Limited Output of Paintings
According to some accounts Elsheimer suffered from depression, and would
often go for long periods of time without painting. In all, only about
40 paintings can be attributed to him, including:
- Baptism of Christ (1599, National Gallery, London)
- Rest on Flight into Egypt (c.1599, State Museum, Berlin)
- Ceres and Stellio (c.1599, Prado Museum, Madrid)
- St Paul at Malta (c.1600, National Gallery, London)
- The Holy Family (c.1600, Gemaldegalerie, Berlin)
- Saint Paul on Malta (c.1600, National Gallery, London)
- Saint Lawrence prepared for Martyrdom (1600, National Gallery, London)
- The Burning of Troy (1601, Alte Pinakothek, Munich)
- Judith Beheading Holofernes (1601, Wellington Museum, London)
- Glorification of the Cross (c.1605, State Art Institute, Frankfurt)
- Aurora (1606, Herzog Anton Ulrich-Museum)
- Self-Portrait (1606-07, Uffizi, Florence)
- Apollo and Coronis (1607, Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool).
- Jacob's Dream (Stadelsches Kunstinstitut, Frankfurt)
- Flight into Egypt (1609, Alte Pinakothek, Munich)
- Jupiter and Mercury at Philemon and Baucis (1609 Gemaldegalerie, Dresden)
- Nymph Fleeing Satyrs (State Museum, Berlin)
Elsheimer was also an expert at etching,
but these were not as successful as his paintings. In his own time, his
works were popular and often copied by his contemporaries. Despite this,
the artist died in poverty, having spent some time in prison for debts.
Influence
Although Elsheimer died young and his output was small he still played
a key role in the development of 17th century landscape painting. He clearly
influenced the next generation, including Rembrandt
(1606-69), whose first dated work, The Stoning of St Stephen (1625,
Musee des Beaux Arts, Lione) appears to be in direct response to a version
by Elsheimer (1603, National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh). Rubens
(1577-1640) and Claude Lorrain (1600-82),
key figures in 17th century landscape painting, were also highly influenced
by Elsheimer's style. Rubens was thought to have owned at least 4 of Elsheimer's
paintings at one time. On hearing of Elsheimer's death, Rubens wrote:
'I have never seen his equal in the realm of small figures, of landscapes,
and of so many other subjects.' Elsheimer's treatment of enlarging figures
on the landscape, as in Apollo and Coronis (1607-08, Walker Art
Gallery, Liverpool), anticipates Van Dyck
and Rubens; as well as 18th century English
figurative painting.
Collections
After his death, Adam Elsheimer became
popular in the UK, King Charles I collected his work, and today nearly
one third of his paintings can still be found in the UK. His works can
also be found in some of the best art museums
across Europe and America, including the Louvre, Paris; the Alte Pinakothek,
Munich; the Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg; the Fine Arts Museums of
San Francisco; and the J.Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles. In 2006 the Stadelsches
Kunstinstitut, Frankfurt; the National Gallery of Scotland and the
Dulwich Picture Gallery, London collaborated on bringing together Elsheimer’s
surviving paintings together for the first time in history.
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