Landschaft(landscape) first emerged in
German literature as a characterization of
an artistic genre(category of art) when
Dürer described Patinir as a “good land-
scape painter.” In Landscape with Saint
Jerome (FIG. 23-19), Patinir subordi-
nated the saint, who removes a thorn
from a lion’s paw in the foreground, to the
exotic and detailed landscape. Craggy
rock formations, verdant rolling fields,
villages with church steeples, expansive
bodies of water, and a dramatic sky fill
most of the panel. Patinir amplified the
sense of distance by masterfully using
color to enhance the visual effect of reces-
sion and advance.
PIETER BRUEGEL THE ELDER The greatest Netherland-
ish painter of the mid-16th century was Pieter Bruegel the
Elder(ca. 1528–1569), whose works reveal both an interest in the
interrelationship of human beings and nature and Patinir’s influ-
ence. But in Bruegel’s paintings, no matter how huge a slice of the
world the artist shows, human activities remain the dominant
theme. Like many of his contemporaries, Bruegel traveled to Italy,
where he seems to have spent almost two years, venturing as far
south as Sicily. Unlike other artists, however, Bruegel chose not to in-
corporate classical elements into his paintings.642 Chapter 23 NORTHERN EUROPE AND SPAIN, 1500 TO 160023-19Joachim Patinir,Landscape with
Saint Jerome,ca. 1520–1524. Oil on wood,
2 51 – 8 2 117 – 8 . Museo del Prado, Madrid.
Joachim Patinir, a renowned Netherlandish
landscape painter, subordinated the story
of Saint Jerome to the depiction of craggy
rock formations, verdant rolling fields, and
expansive bodies of water.
1 ft.23-20Pieter Bruegel
the Elder,Netherlandish
Proverbs,1559. Oil on
wood, 3 10 5 4 –^18 .
Gemäldegalerie, Staatliche
Museen, Berlin.
In this painting of a
crowded Netherlandish
village, Bruegel indulged
his audience’s obsession
with proverbs and passion
for clever imagery, and
demonstrated his deep
understanding of human
nature.
1 ft.23-20ABRUEGEL
THEELDER,Fall
of Icarus,
ca. 1555–1556.