Adam Elsheimer

Adam Elsheimer painted small pictures on copper that had a large influence. His scenes from the Bible and mythology are often set at night or at dusk, lit by moonlight, torches or firelight, with poetic, carefully observed landscapes.

He was born in Frankfurt in 1578, trained there with Philipp Uffenbach and went to Venice and then Rome, where he spent the rest of his short life. His tiny paintings impressed Rubens, and through prints they influenced Rembrandt and Claude Lorrain. His Flight into Egypt (1609), in the Alte Pinakothek in Munich, is one of the first paintings to show an accurate starry night sky. He died in Rome in 1610.

Aurora, with its early dawn light over a quiet landscape, shows his gift for mood.