Adam Elsheimer was born on March 18, 1578 in Frankfurt am Main. He was a painter of the Baroque era who influenced many other notable artists, including Rembrandt and Rubens.
Elsheimer most liked to paint unique scenes, depicting moments which other artists weren’t already doing. He especially painted mythological and religious scenes, but his approach was uniquely creative. He didn’t care to follow in the footsteps of the already-successful Caravaggio by painting in dramatic chiaroscuro; rather, his own lighting was more subtle, though still striking. His lighting could be quite complex, sometimes with as many as five light sources, and thus shadows in many more than five variations of value. He combined Italian styles with German tradition.
Below are shown Tobias and the Archangel Raphael Returning with the Fish, Holy Family with Saint John the Baptist,
Jupiter and Mercury at Philemon and Baucis, and The Burning of Troy.
