Collection: Hans Burgkmair the Elder

Hans Burgkmair the Elder (1473–1531) was born and died in Augsburg, Germany. He trained under his father, Thoman Burgkmair, and later absorbed the influence of Martin Schongauer and Venetian Renaissance art. By 1498, he had established himself in Augsburg as a painter and designer for woodcuts, working alongside Hans Holbein the Elder.

Burgkmair introduced chiaroscuro woodcut technique to Germany in 1508 with works like "Equestrian Portrait of the Emperor Maximilian I". His woodcuts for Maximilian I’s "Triumph of Maximilian" (1516–1519) combined intricate linework with tonal shading, a departure from earlier German graphic traditions. He also painted devotional panels, such as "The Virgin and Child", and designed stained glass and armor for Augsburg workshops.

Burgkmair’s chiaroscuro woodcuts influenced later German printmakers, including his son Hans Burgkmair the Younger (c. 1500–1562). His integration of Italian Renaissance motifs into Northern art marked a shift in early 16th-century German painting and printmaking.