Christoph Ludwig Agricola

Christoph Ludwig Agricola (5 November 1665 – 8 August 1724)<ref>Template:NDB</ref> was a German landscape painter and etcher. He was born and died in Regensburg (Ratisbon).

Life and career

Christoph Ludwig Agricola was born on 5 November 1665 in Regensburg in Germany. He trained, as many painters of the period did, by studying nature.<ref>Viardot, L., An Illustrated History of Painters of All Schools, Sampson, Low, Marston, Searle, & Rivington, 1877, p. 258; Kugler, F., Handbook of Painting: The German, Flemish, and Dutch Schools, Volume 2, J. Murray, 1874, p. 567</ref>

He spent a great part of his life in travel visiting England, the Netherlands and France, and residing for a considerable period in Naples, where he may have been influenced by Nicolas Poussin.<ref name="Chisholm 1911, p. 386">Template:EB1911</ref><ref>Viardot, L., An Illustrated History of Painters of All Schools, Sampson, Low, Marston, Searle, & Rivington, 1877, p. 258; Kugler, F., Waagen, F.G. and Crowe, J.A., The German, Flemish and Dutch Schools of Painting, Volume 2, J. Murray, 1911, p. 567</ref> He also stayed in Venice for several years around 1712, where he painted many works for Zaccaria Sagredo.<ref>Boni, Page 8</ref>

He died in Regensburg in 1724.

Work

Although he primarily worked in gouache and oils, documentary sources show that he also produced a small number of etchings.<ref>Ottley, W., Notices of Engravers, and Their Works, being the Commencement of a new Dictionary, which it is not intended to continue, containing some account of upwards of three hundred masters, etc, 1831</ref> He was a good draughtsman, used warm lighting and exhibited a warm, masterly brushstroke.<ref name="Kugler, F. 1874, p. 567">Kugler, F., Handbook of Painting: The German, Flemish, and Dutch Schools, Volume 2, J. Murray, 1874, p. 567</ref>

His numerous landscapes, chiefly cabinet pictures, are remarkable for their fidelity to nature, and especially for their skilful representation of varied phases of climate, especially nocturnal scenes and weather phenomena like thunderstorms.<ref name="Chisholm 1911, p. 386"/><ref name="PDF Online">Koziel, A., "The Forgotten Star of Wroclaw: A Few Words about the Work of Christian Johann Bendeler (1699–1728)" in: Šeferisová Loudová, M., Kroupa, J. and Lubomír, K., Orbis artium: k jubileu Lubomíra Slavíčka, Vol. 1, Brno, Masarykova Univerzita, 2009, pp. 219–233 PDF Online:</ref> In composition, his style shows the influence of Nicolas Poussin: Agricola's work often displays idealistic scenes like Poussin's work.<ref>Macfall, H., The Renaissance in the North; and the Flemish Genius, [Volume 4 in the series, History of Painting], Dana Estes and Company, 2004, p.145</ref> In light and colour Agricola's work resembles that of Claude Lorrain. His compositions often include ruins of ancient buildings in the foreground, but his favourite foreground figures were men dressed in Oriental attire.<ref name="Kugler, F. 1874, p. 567"/> He also produced a series of etchings of birds.<ref>Watercolours, Pictures and Prints of Birds [Auction Catalogue], Christie, Manson & Woods, 1989, pp 18–19</ref>

His pictures can be found in Dresden, Braunschweig, Vienna, Florence, Naples and many other locations in Germany and Italy.

Legacy

He probably tutored the artist Johann Theile and had a strong influence on him.<ref>Killy, W. and Vierhaus, R., Thibaut – Zycha, Walter de Gruyter, 2011, p. 2; Kugler, F., Waagen, F.G. and Crowe, J.A., The German, Flemish and Dutch Schools of Painting, Volume 2, J. Murray, 1911, p. 567</ref> Art historians have also noted that the work of the landscape painter Christian Johann Bendeler (1699–1728) was influenced by Agricola.<ref name="PDF Online"/>

Gallery

• River landscape
  River landscape
• Greater Redpole and crested titmous; Bluethroat
  Greater Redpole and crested titmous; Bluethroat
• Bandits Shooting at Travellers
  Bandits Shooting at Travellers
• A bustard and a magpie in an exotic landscape
  A bustard and a magpie in an exotic landscape
• A bird seated on a branch
  A bird seated on a branch
• Winter face with ice entertainment
  Winter face with ice entertainment
• Songbird in an Evergreen
  Songbird in an Evergreen

Further reading

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