Thom Breitenbach, an Altamont artist and his legacy

Thom Breitenbach built, with his own hands, the castle where he lives on the shoulder of the escarpment. He wrested Helderberg bluestone from his land and forged its iron hardware. Born in Queens, he had moved to the outskirts of Altamont when he was 10 and revelled in the natural surroundings — collecting insects and rocks, identifying flora and fauna from field guides. As a teenager, he built grandfather clocks and a harpsichord. He started to paint in earnest after a Guilderland High School classmate gave a presentation on Salvadore Dali and Hieronymus Bosch. The fascination lasted a lifetime. At 24, Breitenbach painted “Proverbidioms,” depicting over 300 common proverbs and clichés, which made him famous. He had read a review of Pieter Bruegel’s painting of Dutch proverbs, which said the language was more colorful then, in the 1500s, he explains. Breitenbach proved otherwise and has continued to paint sequels. He went on to create what he calls “Nu Creatures,” and wrote a “field guide” for them, with both Latin and common names. More recently, Breitenbach wrote and produced a musical about Hieronymus Bosch, the medieval Dutch artist who, like Breitenbach himself, gets lost in his imagination; the fantastical creatures he paints inhabit his home. Breitenbach’s goal now is to paint a triptych as large as Bosch’s “The Garden of Earthly Delights.” He is also in the midst of setting up a not-for-profit so that, after his death, all of his artwork will remain in his castle where admirers can appreciate it for years to come.

---

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.