1520
watercolor
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
The Great Landscape with the Water Mill is a 1520 watercolor by Albrecht Altdorfer, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This drawing shows a winding river cutting through a busy town. Buildings crowd the banks, with bridges crossing the water and a large millwheel turning near the center. Trees line the hills in the background, and the whole scene is drawn in fine lines with just a touch of soft color. The artist packed in tiny details—every house, tree, and person is there, but the whole thing looks a little crowded. This style was common in the 1500s when artists focused on showing nature and human life together. Next, check out Altdorfer, Albrecht to see how he turned landscapes into big, detailed stories.
Albrecht Altdorfer (c. 1480 – 12 February 1538) was a German painter, engraver and architect of the Renaissance working in Regensburg. Along with Lucas Cranach the Elder and Wolf Huber he is regarded to be the main…
See the richer artist page
