A painting that remained in a private collection and out of public view for nearly seven decades is now attracting attention from the international art world. Created around 1520 by German Renaissance artist Albrecht Altdorfer, the small landscape depicts a densely wooded forest, a rainbow behind the trees and a distant castle beneath a cloudy sky. The artwork was acquired by a Swiss collector's father in 1957 and remained out of public view until its recent identification as a rare work by the Renaissance master. The painting, titled A Thickly Wooded Landscape With a Rainbow Behind the Trees and a Distant Outcrop to the Right Beneath a Cloud-Laden Sky, will be offered at Sotheby's Old Masters Evening Sale in London on December 9, 2026. According to Sotheby's auction catalogue, the work carries an estimated value of £3 million to £5 million. Its rediscovery is particularly important because it is only the third known oil landscape by Altdorfer, making it a significant addition to the known works of one of the Northern Renaissance's leading artists.
The artwork has an unusual history. Before reaching its present owner, it belonged to the collection of the Austrian noble House of Harrach in Vienna. The current owner's father acquired it from the collection in 1957, and it subsequently remained in the family. The present owner inherited the painting, which had remained outside public view for approximately 70 years. The work was previously unknown to Altdorfer scholars and was not included in the artist's catalogue raisonné, a detailed scholarly record of an artist's known works. Its identification earlier this year has therefore expanded the recognised body of paintings attributed to the German master. The painting is relatively small, measuring 23.4 by 19.8 centimetres. It is signed with Altdorfer's monogram, AA, on the trunk of a larch tree. Sotheby's catalogue describes the medium as oil on parchment, which was later attached to a wooden panel, probably made of limewood.
The painting's subject is a thick forest under a cloud-filled sky, with a rainbow visible behind the trees and a distant rocky outcrop supporting a castle. Despite its small dimensions, the artwork creates a detailed natural scene through its treatment of trees, light, clouds and the surrounding landscape. According to The Art Newspaper, George Gordon, chairman of Sotheby’s Worldwide Old Masters Department, described the painting’s rediscovery as “one of the most exciting discoveries imaginable in our field”, as it adds to the known body of work of one of the great masters of the Northern Renaissance. Its rarity also contributes to its importance. Before this painting was identified, only two other pure oil landscapes by Altdorfer were known. One, Landscape With a Footbridge, is held by the National Gallery in London, while Landscape of the Danube near Regensburg is part of the Alte Pinakothek collection in Munich. Both are in museums, making the newly identified work an exceptionally rare opportunity for collectors.
Albrecht Altdorfer was an important German Renaissance artist associated with Regensburg, Bavaria, known for his paintings, drawings and engravings. He is regarded as one of the pioneers of independent landscape painting in Europe, particularly for giving natural scenery a central place in art rather than treating it merely as a background for religious or historical subjects. Altdorfer began producing landscape drawings around 1511, including scenes inspired by the natural surroundings along the Danube. He later became known for detailed depictions of forests and landscapes near Regensburg. His paintings often featured dense vegetation, dramatic skies and expressive natural forms. Altdorfer also received important royal commissions. One of his best-known works, The Battle of Alexander at Issus, was painted in 1529 for Duke Wilhelm IV of Bavaria and is now housed in the Alte Pinakothek in Munich. He served Emperor Maximilian I from 1513 and later returned to Regensburg, where he died in 1538.
The December sale will mark the first time a known Altdorfer painting has appeared on the market since 1980. At that time, the National Gallery privately acquired his Christ Taking Leave of His Mother, painted around 1520, for a reported £2.4 million. Sotheby's has estimated the newly identified landscape at £3 million to £5 million, although Gordon has indicated that it could potentially sell for more. He also expects museums to show interest in the work because of its rarity and historical significance. Before the auction, the painting is scheduled to be exhibited at Sotheby's in New York from November 7 to 19, followed by a London exhibition from December 4 to 9. Its appearance gives art enthusiasts and potential buyers an opportunity to see a Renaissance landscape that remained outside public view for generations. The rediscovery is more than an auction story. It brings a previously unrecognised work into the documented history of a major Renaissance artist and offers a rare glimpse into his approach to landscape painting nearly five centuries ago.
