A number of artists who worked in the regions of the Danube between Regensburg and Vienna during the period of 1500 to 1530 approximately. The school is also termed Donau School or Donaustil via German transliteration and included both painters and print makers apt at etchings. The painters in the school are today viewed as being a ahead of their times in the sense that they were the first to drop the high finish of renaissance painting, and by their introduction of expressive elements, and for the choice of motifs such as just landscapes. notable members were the artists: Lucas Cranach the Elder, Augustin Hirschvogel, Wolf Huber, Jörg Breu and Rueland Frueauf. Having said that, much of the work the artists produced was made to order by the churches and are by the very same reason religious nature.
The river Danube/Donau was, and still is, a natural artery for travelers including artists and has also been affluent throught history. Many German-speaking artists in the 16th century had what they termed “Wanderjahre”. That is a the period of travel undertaken as part of ones artistic training.
Lucas Cranach the Elder (1472-1553), one of the main masters, arrived on the Danube from Franconia c. 1500 and stayed until 1505. The Regensburg artist Albrecht Altdorfer (c. 1480-1538) was also passing through the region and painted trees, water,trees, and misty atmospheric effects.
