Lambert Sustris

Key facts

Lived

1515–1584, Dutch

Movement

• Mannerism

Works held in

15 museums^[1]

• Pietà and Angels

  Musei di Strada Nuova

  Genoa, Italy

  1 works

  Museum detailsMap

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• What is Lambert Sustris known for?+

  Lambert Sustris is known for his Mannerist paintings that combined Venetian colour with elongated figures. He is also known for his role in transmitting Venetian landscape painting to Rome through his pupil Girolamo Muziano.
• What is Lambert Sustris's most famous work?+

  Lambert Sustris, also known as Alberto de Olanda, was a painter of Westphalian origin active in Italy. He is not associated with one single famous piece. Instead, he is better known for his influence on other artists, particularly during his time in Venice. Sustris's career can be divided into two main periods: his early work in Venice and his later period in Augsburg. In Venice, he worked in the studio of Titian, where he contributed to several important commissions. His contributions to works by Titian, such as "The Martyrdom of Saint Lawrence" (1548-1559), demonstrate his skill in figure painting and composition. After leaving Venice around 1560, Sustris moved to Augsburg, where he worked for the Fugger family. Here, his style shifted towards a more Mannerist aesthetic, characterised by elongated figures and dramatic compositions. Although he produced numerous paintings and drawings during this period, none achieved widespread recognition as his "most famous work". His legacy rests more on his stylistic influence and the body of work he produced for prominent patrons.
• What should I know about Lambert Sustris's prints?+

  Lambert Sustris, a Dutch painter active in the mid-16th century, is known for his paintings, but his direct involvement in printmaking is less documented. He trained Frans Floris, who became a noted designer of prints. Prints connected to Sustris are primarily those created after his designs by other printmakers. These prints circulated his artistic ideas more widely. The subjects range from religious scenes to mythological subjects. Although Sustris is not as well-known for his prints as some of his contemporaries, the prints made after his designs contributed to the spread of his artistic style and compositions. These prints offer insight into the artistic trends of the period and the dissemination of artistic ideas through print media.
• What style or movement did Lambert Sustris belong to?+

  Lambert Sustris (circa 1515-1520 to circa 1560-1591) was a Netherlandish painter who spent much of his career in Italy. He is usually categorised as a Northern Mannerist, though his style defies easy classification. Sustris's early work shows the influence of Venetian painting. He arrived in Venice around 1535 and was associated with the workshop of Titian. His paintings from this period display a Venetian interest in colour and atmosphere. However, Sustris also incorporated elements of Mannerism, such as elongated figures and artificial poses, into his compositions. Mannerism was a style that reacted against the classicism of the High Renaissance. Later in his career, Sustris worked in Augsburg and other parts of Germany. His style became more linear and decorative, reflecting the influence of German art. He produced designs for prints and other decorative arts. Sustris's varied artistic output demonstrates a complex engagement with different artistic traditions. He blended Venetian colourism, Mannerist stylisation, and elements of Northern European art.
• What techniques or materials did Lambert Sustris use?+

  Lambert Sustris's techniques involved both traditional methods and some individual approaches. As a glass painter, he employed established practices, such as using transparent coloured-glass pieces for ground colour. He also used semi-translucent matts (washes smoothed to a muted, even finish) for modelling and muting values, as well as opaque contours for drawing. Developments in glass-painting techniques during the late 15th and early 16th centuries saw artists interpret familiar means in new ways. This included wet stippling, a refining of the wet, matted surface through stippling with a large, soft brush or with a fine sponge or cloth. This allowed for a more even and finely applied matt, more stable and resistant to smudging than a badgered matt. Sustris's broader painting practice involved the use of oil-based sealing layers toned with red and black pigments. The paint structure was often multi-layered, with colours worked from light to dark. Each large area of colour was blocked in using a light tone of the final colour.
• What was Lambert Sustris known for?+

  Lambert Lombard (1506-1566) was a painter and architect from Liège, now in Belgium. He studied with Jean Demeuse, Arnold de Beer in Antwerp, and Jan Gossaert in Middleburg. Lombard travelled to Rome in 1537, returning the following year. He was a protégé of Bishop Evrard de la Marck. Lombard's best known work is the altarpiece for the high altar of St-Denis, Liège, around 1540. The panels are now dismembered, with sections in Liège, St-Denis, and Brussels. The altarpiece shows the influence of Italian art, particularly the Raphael school. Lombard likely spent much of his time in Rome studying in the Raphael rooms in the Vatican, especially the Sala di Costantino. The scenes from the life of St Denis repeat the architectural settings and costuming of the Raphael school, but they are not well assimilated. The actions are awkward, and the architecture is too studied. Lombard also ran an art academy in Liège. Some famous Netherlandish artists enrolled there, including Frans Floris and Willem Key.
• When did Lambert Sustris live and work?+

  Lambert Sustris was a painter of Westphalian origin. He is thought to have been born in either Amsterdam or Soest around 1515. Sustris died sometime after 1591, probably in Venice. Giorgio Vasari said Sustris was a student of Titian. Carlo Ridolfi claimed Sustris trained with both Titian and Giorgione. He is documented in Venice during the 1530s. Sustris may have travelled to Rome around 1535. In the late 1530s and 1540s, Sustris worked in Padua. He created frescoes in the Villa dei Vescovi, Luvigliano, and the Palazzo Contarini. Sustris collaborated with Girolamo da Carpi in 1543 in Bologna. Sustris joined the court of William IV, Duke of Bavaria, in 1548. He worked in Augsburg and Munich. Sustris returned to Venice around 1563. His son, Friedrich Sustris, also became a painter and architect. Friedrich trained in his father's workshop. He later worked for the Bavarian court.
• Where can I see Lambert Sustris's work?+

  Lambert Sustris's artwork can be found in numerous museums and galleries across Europe and North America. In Germany, his works are held at the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Gemaldegalerie; the Kupferstichkabinett in Berlin; the Herzog Anton Ulrich-Museum, Kunstmuseum des Landes Niedersachsen in Braunschweig; the Gemaldegalerie Alte Meister, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen in Dresden; the Stadel Museum, Stadelsches Kunstinstitut und Stadtische Galerie in Frankfurt am Main; the Niedersachsisches Landesmuseum in Hanover; and the Staatliche Graphische Sammlung in Munich. Elsewhere in Europe, Sustris's art can be viewed at the National Gallery of Scotland in Edinburgh; the Galleria degli Uffizi in Florence; the Musée du Louvre in Paris; the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Gemaldegalerie in Vienna; and the Royal Cabinet of Paintings, Mauritshuis in The Hague. In the United Kingdom, his works are held in The British Library, The British Museum, The National Gallery, the National Portrait Gallery, Tate, UCL Art Collections, University College, the Victoria and Albert Museum, Christ Church (Oxford), and the Ashmolean Museum (Oxford). In North America, Sustris's art can be seen at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York; The J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles; the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.; and the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa.
• Where was Lambert Sustris from?+

  Lambert Sustris's origins are not definitively documented in the provided texts. However, they do discuss the artistic environment of the Low Countries during his era. Liège was a centre of artistic activity. Lambert Lombard (1506-1566) was a painter and architect there. Lombard studied in Antwerp and Middleburg, and he travelled to Rome in 1537. His work, such as the altarpiece for St-Denis, Liège (circa 1540), shows the influence of Italian art. Lombard's pupils included Frans Floris and Willem Key. Pieter Coecke journeyed to Rome, which influenced his art. He also travelled to Constantinople; his experiences there resulted in a series of woodcuts published in 1553. These images combined Netherlandish and Düreresque elements.
• Who did Lambert Sustris influence?+

  Lambert Sustris, a Dutch painter active in Italy, absorbed the styles of several artists. Giorgio Vasari claimed Sustris was a student of Titian, though this is debated. He certainly knew Titian's work well. Sustris's influence is most apparent in the work of his son, Friedrich Sustris. Friedrich trained with his father and adopted his mannerisms. Friedrich later moved to Germany, where he worked for the Bavarian court. Other artists who may have been affected by Sustris's style include Andrea Meldolla (also known as Schiavone). Both artists shared an interest in Mannerism and worked in Venice. There are similarities in their approaches to form and composition. Lambert's impact can be seen in the broader Venetian art world of the 16th century, particularly in the adaptation of Mannerist principles to Venetian painting. His legacy is perhaps most visible through his son's artistic output and the continuation of his style in Northern Europe.
• Who influenced Lambert Sustris?+

  Lambert Sustris, a Dutch painter active in Italy, absorbed a range of influences. Giorgio Vasari's *Lives of the Artists* mentions Sustris as a student of Titian in Venice; this is a traditional view. Carlo Ridolfi, in *Le maraviglie dell'arte*, also discusses Sustris's time with Titian. However, other influences are apparent in his work. Some scholars suggest that Sustris was also impacted by mannerism. His style shows elements of both Venetian colourism and the more stylised forms associated with central Italian painting. Sustris's exposure to diverse artistic currents shaped his development. He synthesised aspects of Venetian and central Italian styles. He passed this synthesis on to his son, Friedrich Sustris, and his stepson, Hans von Aachen. Both men also became painters.
• Who was Lambert Sustris?+

  Lambert Sustris was a painter from Amsterdam who became integrated into the Venetian art scene, where he was known as Alberto de Olanda. He trained in Venice and worked in Titian's studio, eventually developing his own Mannerist style.