Albertus Pictor
Albertus Pictor (English, "Albert the Painter"; Immenhusen, c. 1440 – c. 1507), also called Albert Pictor, Albert Målare and Albrekt Pärlstickare (Swedish), is the most famous late medieval Swedish painter, known for his wallpaintings surviving in numerous churches in southern and central Sweden.
Also recorded as Pictor Albertus · Albert the painter · Albertus Immenhusen · Albertus pictor
Albertus Pictor

Håkan Svensson (Xauxa) · CC BY 2.5
- Name
- Albertus Pictor
- Born
- c. 1440
- Birthplace
- Immenhausen
- Died
- c. 1507
- Known for
- Painting
- Movement
- Swedish Renaissance
- Nationality
- Sweden
- Occupation
- painter
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Albertus Pictor (English, "Albert the Painter"; Immenhusen, c. 1440 – c. 1507), also called Albert Pictor, Albert Målare and Albrekt Pärlstickare (Swedish), is the most famous late medieval Swedish painter, known for his wallpaintings surviving in numerous churches in southern and central Sweden.
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Authority files
wikidata · Q932278 · wikipedia · Albertus Pictor
In this article
Biography
Biography
Celebrations for the quincentenary of his death were arranged for 2009.

Dancing peasants. Wall painting by Albertus Pictor in Härkeberga church, Uppland, Sweden
Albertus Pictor (1440? - 1507?) · "Svenska folket genom tiderna. Vårt lands kulturhistoria i skildringar och bilder. Andra bandet. Den medeltida kulturen". Edited by professor Ewert Wrangel. Published by Tidskriftsförlaget Allhem, Mal

Wall painting Lids Church, Sweden. Only known self-portrait by Albertus Pictor. The latin text says "Remember me, Albertus, painter of this church".
Albertus Pictor · Scanned from book "I Albertus Pictors fotspår", Karin Hallgren Produktion, 2009. ISBN 978-91-977866-0-7
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Albertus Pictor • Nocat Wdimage — yes • Born — c. 1440 • Birthplace — Immenhausen • Died — c. 1507 • Native Name — Albrekt Pärlstickare • Known for — Painting • Movement — Swedish Renaissance • Notable Works — Death playing chess • Illustration — Albertus Pictor decorated the church of Husby-Sjutolft, Sweden.
Career
Career
• Illustration — Dancing peasants by Albertus Pictor, Härkeberga Church, Uppland, c. 1480. Albertus was originally called Albertus Immenhusen, after the German town of Immenhausen in Hessen of which he was a native. He occurs in Swedish historical sources from 1465, when he was admitted a burgher of Arboga. Eight years later he moved to Stockholm, where, in accordance with current practice, he took over the workshop as well as the widow of a deceased painter. He was a versatile and prolific artist, known to his contemporaries not only for his church wallpaintings, but also as an organist and embroiderer (hence his nickname of Pärlstickare, "Pearl-embroiderer"). More than thirty of his schemes, mostly in a secco technique, are extant, many in the Lake Mälaren region, about a third of which bear his signature. Notable examples include wallpaintings at Bromma kyrka, near Stockholm, Lid kyrka, in Södermanland and Täby Kyrkby kyrka in Täby. Part of his life and work are depicted in the illustrated book, "Albert målare och sommaren i Härkeberga" ("Albert the Painter and the summer in Härkeberga"), which describes his painting of the small church of Härkeberga in Uppland (see below).
Bergman inspiration
Bergman inspiration
• Illustration — Death playing chess by Albertus Pictor. Täby kyrka, Diocese of Stockholm. Albertus's illustration of Death playing chess from Täby kyrka inspired the famous scene in Ingmar Bergman's 1957 film The Seventh Seal in which a knight (Antonius Block/Max von Sydow) plays chess with personified Death. Albertus Pictor himself appears as a character in the film (played by Gunnar Olsson), in a dialog with Jöns, Antonius Block's squire, while working on a church mural.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1440
Albertus Pictor born at Immenhausen.
1507
Albertus Pictor died at Sweden.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Immenhausen.
Birth place
Sweden.
Death place
Churches with wall paintings by or attributed to Albertus Pictor
Albertus Pictor's paintings are considered preserved in 37 churches. Nine of the painting are either signed with some variant of Albertus name or the signing documented was destroyed. Other paintings ascribed to Albertus Pictor are based on attributes made by experts on the subject. Attenuation on stylistic grounds based on comparisons to those of the churches that have secure signings is difficult to determine especially when it concerns the making of the works. The ornamentation has traditionally been important for the attribution, it is, however, in greater part in the public domain and is more general in its expression and easier to copy than figure painting. A lot of them are also strong influenced by over-liming and production with subsequent restoration. Albertus Pictor's painting, however, differ so much from contemporary Swedish painters that they usually can not be attributed to the author. It is conceivable that in some cases they rather have strong influences. • Almunge (Uppland) • Bromma (Stockholm) • Bälinge (Uppland) • Danmark (Uppland) • Dingtuna (Västmanland) • Ed (Uppland) • Floda (Södermanland) • Gryta (Uppsala) • Helga Trefaldighet (Uppsala) • Husby-Sjutolft (Uppland) • Håbo-Tibble (Uppland) • Härkeberga (Uppland) • Härnevi (Uppland) • Kalmar (Uppland) • Kumla (Västmanland) • Lid (Sörmland) • Nederluleå (Norrbotten) • Odensala (Uppland) • S Per (Uppsala) • Sala (Västmanland) • Sollentuna (Uppland) • Solna (Uppland) • Storkyrkan (Stockholm) • Torshälla (Södermanland) • Täby (Uppland) • Uppsala Cathedral (Uppland) • Vadsbro (Södermanland) • Vaksala (Uppland) • Vansö (Sörmland) • Vittinge (Uppland) • Vårdinge (Södermanland) • Vänge (Uppland) • Västerås Cathedral (Västmanland) • Yttergran (Uppland) • Ösmo (Sörmland) • Österunda (Uppland) • Övergran (Uppland)
References
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Paintings
18,717 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Alberto Valenzuela LlanosArtist
- Alberto VianelliArtist
- Alberto ZiveriArtist
- Albertus BrondgeestArtist
- Albin AmelinArtist
- Albin RogeljArtist
- Albinia HobartArtist
- Albrecht BehmelArtist
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