Joachim Patinir

Joachim Patinir (c. 1480–1524) invented a new kind of painting: the "world landscape." Born in Dinant or Bouvignes in what is now Wallonia, Belgium, he registered with Antwerp's Guild of Saint Luke in 1515 and remained there for the rest of his short life. A key figure of the Northern Renaissance, Patinir pioneered aerial perspective in Flemish painting. Albrecht Dürer attended his wedding in 1521 and called him "der gute Landschaftsmaler" (the good landscape painter), coining a German word for this new specialty.

Patinir's vast panoramic landscapes sweep from detailed foregrounds through layered planes of color to distant blue horizons. He used warm brown-ochre tones in the foreground that transition to greens in the middle ground and cool blues in the background. His rocky outcrops, inspired by the dramatic formations near his native Dinant, became a trademark copied by later painters. The small religious figures that populate his scenes often feel secondary to the vast natural world surrounding them.

Patinir collaborated with other artists, including Quentin Metsys, who added figures to his landscapes. His Landscape with Charon Crossing the Styx shows the mythological ferryman navigating between paradise and hell. Only five signed paintings survive, but many others are attributed to him or his workshop. The Museo del Prado in Madrid holds the finest collection, while the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna preserves several major works including The Baptism of Christ.