The Salzburg landscape series for Prince-Archbishop Count Hieronymus Colloredo: The Salzach valley to the south of the town

This series is among the art-works acquired or commissioned by Hieronymus von Colloredo. Presumably two factors explain why Albert Christoph Dies came to work for the Salzburg Prince Archbishop: first, from his days in Rome he was acquainted with Colloredo's gallery inspector, the painter and encaustic artist Andreas Nesselthaler. Second, the series of etchings "Painterly" etched "Views of Italy" – published by Johann Friedrich Frauenholz (1758–1822) in collaboration with Johann Christian Reinhart (1761–1847) and Jakob Mechau (1745–1808) – may have opened the door to him. Dies worked for two years on the four large-format paintings, which count among the most notable Salzburg landscape paintings of the period. They prelude 19th-century Austrian landscape painting, which achieved international importance. All four paintings are signed and dated. The "Gaisberg Landscape" and the "Salzach Valley to the South of the Town" were painted in 1796, the "Thundery Landscape with the Hoher Staufen" and "Hohensalzburg" in 1797. The artist's particular interest in rendering the ambient light and the various times of day is exemplified in two ideal "Italian Landscapes" in the Residenzgalerie (inv. nos. 612 and 613), which show a morning and an evening mood. The Salzburg series begins in the morning, with the "Gaisberg Landscape"; Dies shows the "Salzach Valley to the South of the Town" at midday, before afternoon brings lightning and a downpour against the background of the Hoher Staufen. Rounding off the series are the unmistakable features of Salzburg, crowned by Hohensalzburg Fortress and bathed in the warm light of the setting sun.

Translated catalogue text from:
Ducke Astrid: Zurückgeholt. Residenzgalerie Salzburg, Salzburg 2017, S. 19-20
Translation: Gail Schamberger MA, Salzburg