Elsheimer

Elsheimer is referencing the shepherds in the nativity story, who received the news of Jesus's birth from an angel and went to him, bearing witness as representatives of all humanity.

The Story Within a Landscape Judith H. Dobrzynski 2010

Whether Elsheimer used his astronomical knowledge here, or not, was settled in 2005, when the Alte Pinakothek and the Deutsches Museum combined to prove conclusively that he must have had access to a telescope.

The Story Within a Landscape Judith H. Dobrzynski 2010

In "The Flight Into Egypt," Elsheimer summoned all of those strengths to produce a highly original variation on a then-common theme.

The Story Within a Landscape Judith H. Dobrzynski 2010

Some experts, though, have posited that Elsheimer suffered from depression.

The Story Within a Landscape Judith H. Dobrzynski 2010

It was a perfect choice: the work, owned by Munich's Alte Pinakothek, epitomizes the virtues that made Elsheimer an important figure in art history, even though he produced just 30 to 40 works.

The Story Within a Landscape Judith H. Dobrzynski 2010

For the cover of the accompanying catalog, they chose an inky, moonlit scene, a detail from "The Flight Into Egypt," which Elsheimer painted in 1609, the year before he died.

The Story Within a Landscape Judith H. Dobrzynski 2010

For the cover of the accompanying catalog, they chose an inky, moonlit scene, a detail from "The Flight Into Egypt," which Elsheimer painted in 1609, the year before he died.

The Story Within a Landscape Judith H. Dobrzynski 2010

For the cover of the accompanying catalog, they chose an inky, moonlit scene, a detail from "The Flight Into Egypt," which Elsheimer painted in 1609, the year before he died.

The Story Within a Landscape Judith H. Dobrzynski 2010

In Rome, Elsheimer was in contact with astronomers, who by mid-1609 were using telescopes (invented the previous year in the Netherlands) to explore the heavens.

The Story Within a Landscape Judith H. Dobrzynski 2010

Some experts, though, have posited that Elsheimer suffered from depression.

The Story Within a Landscape Judith H. Dobrzynski 2010