Albrecht Altdorfer and the Origins of Landscape

The first independent landscapes in European art were produced in southern Germany in the early 16th century by Albrecht Altdorfer of Regensburg (c. 14801538). Entirely empty of subject matter, and elevating the natural world from its more usual pictorial role as a setting, Altdorfer's masterful landscapes mark the origins of a self-consciously German style. Christopher Wood's richly illustrated -assessment of his impact is a crucial contribution to the lit-erature on Northern Renaissance art.