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The history and artistic development of the painter Lucas van Valckenborch is closely linked to the failure of the revolt of the Calvinist Dutch against Spanish rule, for in 1566 Valckenborch left the Flemish town of Mechelen, also to escape the threat of confiscation. Based on his changes of location from Aachen, to Antwerp via Linz on the Danube and Frankfurt on the Main, it can be seen that he often had to relocate his workshops under the pressure of political events. He was drawn to Linz because Archduke Matthias, the younger brother of Emperor Rudolf II, called him into his service in 1579. Valckenborch was considered the most important artist in his service at that time. Thus it is always worthwhile to visit the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, where many of his works can be found. But even in Linz he did not stay long, he followed his brother to Frankfurt. There he then ran a large and productive workshop business until his death.
Valckenborch lived in the 16th century in a turbulent time full of unrest and political turmoil. But if you now expect the painter to reflect the political events in his paintings, you are mistaken. For political art, even statements on politics, did not exist at that time. Valckenborch rather translated his time into quite typical ideal representations, which is characterized by a very detailed painting style in the succession of the great Pieter Brueghel the Elder. His landscapes, as so-called world landscapes, are characterized by a high level of detail. Small figures populate the vast sceneries and blend harmoniously into them. One-sided views become more and more exciting over the years through diagonal compositions with several spatial aisles. The fantastic winter landscapes have always particularly impressed viewers. Today, one would say Wimmelbilder to this, because the numerous small scenes of people standing together in groups or moving on the ice make us as viewers read these pictures like picture stories.
Valckenborch is a master of his craft. Sometimes concrete localities can be identified in his landscapes. Increasingly, he also devoted himself to rock and mountain landscapes, which met the taste of the public of the time as well as the snow landscapes. There we often find profane motifs, quite mundane motifs from mining and ore smelting. Valckenborch is here a chronicler of his time, even if many motifs are mythologically idealized. But forest scenes with vistas, fairs and peasant festivals show us a picture of rural life in the 16th century. A very special motif is the theme of the Tower of Babel, which Valckenborch took over from Pieter Brueghel the Elder. He repeated the Babel theme a total of four times between 1568 and 1595. Here he put all his mastery once again into the world of details. The tower as a perfect ideal image, but also a symbol of hubris, with the dozens and dozens of realistic details shows his ability for accurate observation and pleasure in everyday human activities.
The history and artistic development of the painter Lucas van Valckenborch is closely linked to the failure of the revolt of the Calvinist Dutch against Spanish rule, for in 1566 Valckenborch left the Flemish town of Mechelen, also to escape the threat of confiscation. Based on his changes of location from Aachen, to Antwerp via Linz on the Danube and Frankfurt on the Main, it can be seen that he often had to relocate his workshops under the pressure of political events. He was drawn to Linz because Archduke Matthias, the younger brother of Emperor Rudolf II, called him into his service in 1579. Valckenborch was considered the most important artist in his service at that time. Thus it is always worthwhile to visit the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, where many of his works can be found. But even in Linz he did not stay long, he followed his brother to Frankfurt. There he then ran a large and productive workshop business until his death.
Valckenborch lived in the 16th century in a turbulent time full of unrest and political turmoil. But if you now expect the painter to reflect the political events in his paintings, you are mistaken. For political art, even statements on politics, did not exist at that time. Valckenborch rather translated his time into quite typical ideal representations, which is characterized by a very detailed painting style in the succession of the great Pieter Brueghel the Elder. His landscapes, as so-called world landscapes, are characterized by a high level of detail. Small figures populate the vast sceneries and blend harmoniously into them. One-sided views become more and more exciting over the years through diagonal compositions with several spatial aisles. The fantastic winter landscapes have always particularly impressed viewers. Today, one would say Wimmelbilder to this, because the numerous small scenes of people standing together in groups or moving on the ice make us as viewers read these pictures like picture stories.
Valckenborch is a master of his craft. Sometimes concrete localities can be identified in his landscapes. Increasingly, he also devoted himself to rock and mountain landscapes, which met the taste of the public of the time as well as the snow landscapes. There we often find profane motifs, quite mundane motifs from mining and ore smelting. Valckenborch is here a chronicler of his time, even if many motifs are mythologically idealized. But forest scenes with vistas, fairs and peasant festivals show us a picture of rural life in the 16th century. A very special motif is the theme of the Tower of Babel, which Valckenborch took over from Pieter Brueghel the Elder. He repeated the Babel theme a total of four times between 1568 and 1595. Here he put all his mastery once again into the world of details. The tower as a perfect ideal image, but also a symbol of hubris, with the dozens and dozens of realistic details shows his ability for accurate observation and pleasure in everyday human activities.