Danube landscape near Regensburg with Scheuchenberg 1528

This landscape near Regensburg was made by Albrecht Altdorfer sometime before 1538, using oil on vellum. This wasn’t quite painting “en plein air,” but it’s close. Altdorfer likely made studies outdoors, then brought them back to the studio. His virtuosity is evident in the way he renders the scene: the dense foliage, the light filtering through the trees, the distant mountains. But what is truly remarkable is the way Altdorfer handles oil paint, a relatively new medium at the time. Notice how he builds up layers of thin glazes to create depth and luminosity, a technique borrowed from panel painting, where multiple layers of gesso were applied to achieve a smooth surface. He’s not just representing a landscape; he’s actively constructing it through the material. By choosing to focus on landscape, Altdorfer elevates a genre that was once considered merely a backdrop for more important subjects, imbuing it with its own intrinsic value. This shift reflects a broader change in society, where nature itself was increasingly seen as a source of inspiration and wonder. Altdorfer demonstrates the power of materials and making to transform our perception of the world around us.