View source for Christoph Ludwig Agricola

{{Short description|German landscape painter (1667–1719)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2024}}
{{Infobox artist
| name             = Christoph Ludwig Agricola
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| image            = File:Christoph Ludwig Agricola.jpg|
| image_size       = 200px
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| caption          = Portrait engraving by [[Bernhard Vogel (engraver)|Bernhard Vogel]]
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| birth_date       = 5 November 1665
| birth_place      = [[Regensburg]], Holy Roman Empire
| death_date       = {{death date and age|1724|8|8|1665|11|5|df=yes}}
| death_place      = Regensburg, Holy Roman Empire
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| known_for        = Painting, etching
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'''Christoph Ludwig Agricola''' (5 November 1665 – 8 August 1724)<ref>{{NDB|1|98||Agricola, Christoph Ludwig|Braun-Ronsdorf, Margarete|122961714}}</ref> was a German [[Landscape art|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">{{EB1911 |inline=1|wstitle=Agricola, Christoph Ludwig |volume=1 |page=386}}</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 [[Sagredo family|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 [https://digilib.phil.muni.cz/bitstream/handle/11222.digilib/123956/SpisyFF_382-2009-1_22.pdf?sequence=1 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==
<gallery mode=packed heights=180>
File:Christoph Ludwig Agricola (zugeschr.) - Eine Flusslandschaft mit Anglern.jpg|''River landscape''
File:Christoph Ludwig Agricola - Großer Hänfling und Schopfmeise.jpg|''Greater Redpole and crested titmous; Bluethroat''
File:Christoph Ludwig Agricola (Umkreis) - Räuber schießen auf Reisende.jpg|''Bandits Shooting at Travellers''
File:Christoph Ludwig Agricola - Trappe un Elster in exotischer Landschaft.jpg|''A bustard and a magpie in an exotic landscape''
File:Christoph Ludwig Agricola - Ein Vogel auf einem Ast.jpg|''A bird seated on a branch''
File:Wintergezicht met ijsvermaak, RP-T-1898-A-3549.jpg|''Winter face with ice entertainment''
File:Christoph Ludwig Agricola - Singvogel auf einem Nadelbaum.jpg|''Songbird in an Evergreen''
</gallery>
==References==
{{Reflist}}
== Further reading ==
{{Commons category|Christoph Ludwig Agricola}}
*{{cite book| first=Filippo de'| last=Boni| year=1852| title=Biografia degli artisti ovvero dizionario della vita e delle opere dei pittori, degli scultori, degli intagliatori, dei tipografi e dei musici di ogni nazione che fiorirono da'tempi più remoti sino á nostri giorni. Seconda Edizione.| pages= 8 | publisher=Presso Andrea Santini e Figlio|location=Venice; Googlebooks |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IU0_AAAAcAAJ&q=Filippo+Boni+Biografia+degli+artisti+ovvero+dizionario&pg=PA441}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Agricola, Christoph Ludwig}}
[[Category:1665 births]]
[[Category:1724 deaths]]
[[Category:17th-century German painters]]
[[Category:18th-century German painters]]
[[Category:18th-century German male artists]]
[[Category:German male painters]]
[[Category:German landscape painters]]