Book excerpt: "Adam Elsheimer is first recorded in 1600 and by 1610 he was dead. But Elsheimer was influential on the coming century to a degree out of all proportion to his brief career and small output. Above all, he revolutionised the handling of light in landscapes and interiors, introducing novel ways of handling complex narratives as well as inventing new subject matter in painting." "Although his importance has always been recognised, appreciation of the artist has been hampered by a lack of good reproductions. This book offers for the first time a host of lavish colour details from his paintings that demonstrate Elsheimer's extraordinarily fine touch and feeling. This major study, the first to appear in English for nearly thirty years, accompanies a landmark exhibition being held at the Stadelsches Kunstinstitut in Frankfurt, at the National Gallery of Scotland in Edinburgh and at Dulwich Picture Gallery in London."--BOOK JACKET.