Andreas Achenbach

Kingdom of Prussia·1815-1910

Andreas Achenbach painted landscapes and seascapes in the Romantic tradition, becoming one of the founders of the Düsseldorf School. Born in Kassel in 1815, he studied at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf under Friedrich Wilhelm Schadow before traveling through the Netherlands, Bavaria, and Italy, often with his brother Oswald. The two brothers were known together as the "Alpha and Omega" of landscape painters. After early success—selling a work at sixteen and gaining a royal patron by 1836—Achenbach eventually returned to Düsseldorf to manage the family brewery and inn, which became a gathering place for artists. He remained active as a painter and printmaker throughout his long life, receiving numerous honors including membership in major academies across Europe. He died in Düsseldorf in 1910, aged ninety-four.