Hans von Aachen

Hans von Aachen painted elegant, often playful mythologies and allegories, with smooth skin, long limbs and knowing glances between the figures. He is one of the leading names of Northern Mannerism, the polished international style of the late sixteenth century, and he also worked as a sought-after portraitist.

Born in Cologne, he spent more than a decade in Italy, working in Venice, Rome and Florence, where he painted for the Medici. Back north he painted the Fugger family in Augsburg and worked for the Duke of Bavaria in Munich. In 1592 he became court painter to Emperor Rudolf II, and he ended his life in Prague, still in imperial service under Emperor Matthias.

Works such as the Allegory of Peace, Art and Abundance show his mix of Italian grace and German detail. The Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna holds a strong group of his paintings.