Marc Burckhardt’s Paintings Offer Personal, Mythological Narratives

Using acrylics and oils on wood panels, Marc Burckhardt creates timeless, fantastical paintings packed with allegory and storytelling. The artist cites Northern Renaissance and Dutch secular painting as influences in his work, with his own, personal narratives woven into each creation. Though each piece only focuses on one or a handful of beings, lush backdrops and detail add to the absorbing quality to these works.

Mythology and literature also play roles in Burckhardt’s pieces, with recent pieces pulling from works like the lyrical poem Triumphs by Petrarch. Burckhardt’s work currently appears in the show Allegorical Narratives at Gallery Shoal Creek and in the group show Menschtierwir at Affenfaust Galerie in Germany. The artist works in studios in Austin, Texas, and Bremen, Germany.

Burckhardt has been commissioned by publications like Rolling Stone, Atlantic Monthly, TIME, and the New York Times and brands like Honda, Major League Baseball, and Volkswagen. (And his illustrations have also been commissioned by publishers, like Random House and Simon & Schuster.) His paintings are in the private collections of Ralph Lauren, Johnny Cash, Oprah Winfrey, and others, and he’s a Hamilton King Award recipient. Cash had the artist paint a portrait of his wife, June Carter.