Danube school

Danube landscape nearRegensburg,byAlbrecht Altdorfer

A landscape etching byAlbrecht Altdorfer

TheDanube schoolorDonau school(German:DonauschuleorDonaustil) was a circle of painters of the first third of the 16th century inBavariaandAustria(mainly along theDanubevalley). Many were also innovativeprintmakers,usually inetching.They were among the first painters to regularly use purelandscape painting,and their figures, influenced byMatthias Grünewald,are often highly expressive, if notexpressionist.They show little Italian influence and represent a decisive break with the high finish ofNorthern Renaissancepainting, using a morepainterlystyle that was in many ways ahead of its time.

According to Alfred Stange,Albrecht AltdorferandWolf Huberwere two of the central most figures within the Danube school.Altdofer was the artist that created most of the artworks associated with the Danube school. The term "Danube school" was most likely not what these groups of artist called themselves but a name that derived hundreds of years after a man by the name of Theodore von Frimmel was observing a painting in 1892 in the Danube region around Regensburg, Germany. When artist Lucas Cranach's art work was recognized to have stylistic elements of the "Danube" the name "the Danube school" began to take a deeper meaning.

The river valleys of Austria and western Bavaria have often been praised as the land of the 'beautiful Danube' and not in just song but in the pictorial arts as well. (Snyder, James)

Characteristics

Rugged mountain terrain, towering fir trees and dramatic lighting effects of sunset and dawn are the main characteristics of the Danube school. Other elements that distinguish Danube school artworks is the prominence of nature and how it is represented through these pieces of art as well as the human figure in these natural elements and human events that happen within nature.

Notable artists

Of all the artists within the Danube school,Albrecht Altdorferis one that has mastered the landscapes of the Danube. His painting,Danube Landscapehas been dated between 1520 and 1525 which is a result from Altdorfer's mature years capturing the Danube landscapes.

Other members included:

• Wolf Huber
• Jörg Breu the Elder
• Rueland Frueauf the Younger
• Augustin Hirschvogel(draughtsman, printmaker)

Lucas Cranach the Elderhad a major influence on the Danube school and is occasionally considered a member of the group.

See also

• List of landscapes by Albrecht Altdorfer
• Early Renaissance painting
• Forlivese school of art

References

• Snyder, James(1985).Northern Renaissance Art.New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
• Stadlober, Margit (2006).Der Wald in der Malerei und der Graphik des Donaustils.Vienna: Böhlau.
• Stange, Alfred (1971).Malerei der Donauschule.Munich: Bruckmann.
• Turner, Jane (2000).The Grove Dictionary of Art: From Renaissance to Impressionism: Styles and Movements in Western Art, 1400-1900.Macmillan.

External links

• Bavarian historical encyclopaedia: Danube style (in German)
• Abstrakte Malerei(in German)
• Die Kunstwerke der Donauschule in der Tradition der böhmischen Sammlungstätigkeit