Descrição
Very little is known about Albert Eckhout, one of the artists accompanying Johan Maurits van Nassau-Siegen to Brazil. Between 1653 and 1663, Eckhout remained in the Court of Saxony, but a great part of the works produced during this period was destroyed in 1945 during the bombing of Dresden. Among the few surviving canvases attributed to the Dutch artist, the most noticeable are the eighty oils of tropical birds that adorn the ceiling of the main room of Hoflössnitz, a small palace built between 1648 and 1650 in Radebeul. The paintings are obviously based on other works produced by Eckhout during his stay in Brazil, and seem to be an unexpected addition to the initial project of the building. || Pouco se conhece sobre Albert Eckhout, um dos integrantes da comitiva de Johan Maurits van Nassau-Siegen no Brasil. Entre 1653 e 1663, Eckhout permaneceria a serviço dos príncipes eleitores da Saxônia produzindo obras decorativas e quadros diversos, vários dos quais destruídos em 1945 durante o bombardeio de Dresden. Dos trabalhos que lograram subsistir, o conjunto mais significativo compreende oitenta óleos de aves tropicais que adornam o teto da sala principal do Castelo de Hoflössnitz, palacete erguido entre 1648 e 1650 na localidade de Radebeul. Esses quadros mostram íntima relação com as iconografias elaboradas por Eckhout no Brasil e parecem constituir uma inesperada adição ao projeto inicial do edifício.
