The Northern Renaissance By Ariel Balaban, Sophie Buchanan, Isabella Mancuso, and Emme Scharmann

Northern Renaissance vs. Early and High Renaissance The Italian Renaissance was focused more on mythology and religion than anything else. The Northern Renaissance was more naturalistic, with many portraits and paintings of interiors. Oil paint was popularized in the Northern Renaissance. Artists had previously been painting frescos.

Northern Humanism Northern Humanism is also referred to as Christian Humanism. It was similar to the values of the High Renaissance: idealism, rationalism, a return to the Classics. They wanted reform in the Catholic Church and believed that faith alone would save a person.

Art in Relation to Humanism Many Northern artists were focused on depicting religious themes. Jan van Eyck and Grunewald were both commissioned to create altarpieces for churches. Even van Eyck’s seemingly domestic Arnolfini Portrait contains many Christian motifs. Knight, Death, and the Devil shows a soldier being threatened by death. The physical presence of his faith is the only thing that keeps him safe.

Geographical and Temporal Cultures Impact on Northern Renaissance The Northern Renaissance took place in Northern Europe. Due to artists’ inability to access Greek and Roman statues, there appears to be less of a classical influence in figures and more of a Gothic one. Also, in the North there was a different rationale, as people were focused on religious reform. Because these countries were physically distant from Rome, many countries were able to believe that Rome had strayed too far from Christian values. Art in the North then decidedly took a turn towards secular themes, and a focus on humanism.

Ghent Altarpiece - Jan Van Eyck (1432) Style - polyptych panel painting Technique - oil paint on wooden panels Skill - considered one of European art’s “masterpieces” Artist’s level of fame - one of the most significant Northern Renaissance artists of the 15th century, “highly influential and his techniques and style were quickly adopted and refined by Robert Campin and Rogier van der Weyden and later generations of Early Netherlandish painters.” -Reflective of Christian beliefs by showing Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, St. John the Baptist, Adam and Eve, and other religious figures - It reflects the temporal culture as it was destroyed during the religious Reformation in Europe for possibly containing clockwork mechanisms and having the ability to play music

Deposition of Christ - Rogier Van der Weyden (1435) Style - central panel of a triptych (three-part altarpiece) Technique - oil painting on carved wooden figures Skill - Van der Weyden was apprenticed in Belgium before becoming the city painter in Brussels in 1436 Artist’s level of fame - established an international reputation and earned commissions from members of the Burgundian Court, including art collector Philip the Good - Reflective of the growth of secularism by depicting the agony of Jesus Christ’s crucifixion and the pain suffered by those pictured, including Mary, Mother of Christ - The emotions displayed generated extensive criticism reflecting temporal cultures at the time, particularly that of Erwin Panofsky: "It may be said that the painted tear, a shining pearl born of the strongest emotion, epitomizes that which Italian most admired in Early Flemish painting: pictorial brilliance and sentiment".

Knight, Death and the Devil - Albrecht Dürer (1513) This copper engraving is considered one of his most detailed works. Dürer created this piece during his time under the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I, but was not a commissioned piece. Inspired by “Handbook of a Christian Knight” written by Dutch theologian Desiderius Erasmus in 1503, this engraving plays on the idea that one must not stray from the road of virtue and must remain steadfast in the face of temptation and the Devil; hence the knight’s rigidity and resolute stare. Death is portrayed in the painting as the figure riding on his horse next to the knight, but off of the path. His role is to tempt and threaten the knight, whose strength is shown by his ability to ignore and move past these temptations. This engraving was heavily influenced by the Gothic style of the Middle Ages.

Giovanni Arnolfini and His Wife by Jan van Eyck van Eyck’s masterpiece was created in 1434. It shows a marriage between a nobility (the woman is not pregnant).The scene is depicted in oil paint on a wooden panel. The entire scene is reflected in the mirror on the back wall. van Eyck had to use a magnifying glass to get all of the details right. The dog symbolizes fidelity and the single candle burning in the chandelier signifies the presence of the Holy Spirit

Neptune and Amphitrite by Jan Gossaert The painting depicts two nude sea gods. Considered the first depiction of mythological nudes in Netherlandish art. It was based on Italian Renaissance nudes, since Gossaert had just returned from Rome when she painted it. There are several oceanic motifs: the trident, conch shell, and the fact that the pedestal is surrounded by rippling water. It was painted in 1516

The Ambassadors - Hans Holbein the Younger Holbein the Younger painted this piece in 1533. The oil painting was created to memorialize two wealthy ambassadors: Jean de Dinteville, the French ambassador to England, and Georges de Selve, the ambassador to the Emperor and Venetian Republic. Many Humanistic themes are represented in this piece. The globe, the sundial, the scrolls, the hymn books, lute, and book of arithmetic all serve as representations of the eras focus on humanism. The broken lute strings can signify religious discord, while the Lutheran hymn book can be looked as a plea for religious harmony. The skull at the bottom of the foreground represents mortality. The anamorphic perspective of the skull can be corrected if viewed from the extreme right.

The Dutch Proverbs - Pieter Bruegel the Elder Pieter Bruegel the Elder, a Flemish artist, painted this in 1559. The piece is oil on oak panel, and currently in Gemaldegalerie, Berlin. In the piece humans, animals, and objects offer literal illustrations of Dutch language proverbs and idioms. There are 112 identifiable proverbs in the painting. The purpose of the painting was not just to illustrate traditional sayings, but to illustrate the universal stupidity of man. The devil is at the center of the piece hearing confessions.

The Moneychanger and his Wife - Marinus van Reymerswaele This piece was completed in 1539. Reymerswaele was a dutch painter of the Northern Renaissance. This piece is just one version of “The Moneychanger and his Wife”, for he painted a number of other panels by the same name throughout his career. It portrays the average life of a working class couple, and so emphasises the humanistic ideals that were so common to the era. Realism is also emphasised in this piece , which is another stylistic theme common to the time period.

Bibliography http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghent_Altarpiece http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Descent_from_the_Cross_(van_der_Weyden) http://www.masterworksfineart.com/inventory/4217 http://smarthistory.khanacademy.org/bruegel-the-dutch-proverbs.html http://smarthistory.khanacademy.org/holbein.html http://arthistory.about.com/cs/arthistory10one/a/north_ren.htm http://www.academia.edu/1775459/Jan_Gossaerts_Neptune_and_Amphitrite_Reconsidered http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/reymerswaele_marinus_van.html http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/43.106.2 http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/pd/a/d%C3%BCrer_knight,_death_and_devil.aspx