1. Piety, Passion, and Politics
15th Century Art in Northern Europe and Spain, CH 20

2. Northern Europe; 15th cent
Black Plague ravaged Italy and rest of Europe
Great Schism pitted French against Italians
Hundred Years’ War ( )
Political Power shifts: feudal governance waning
Emerging capitalism
Artistic production impacted: oil paints, movable type in Germany, mature illum. Manuscipt style

3. Limbourg Brothers (Pol, Hennequin, Herman), January, from Les Tres Riches Heures du Duc de Berry, , Ink on Vellum, approx 8 ½” x 5 ½” Fig 20-1
French illuminated manuscript; lessons learned from Italian use of space, Humanism and the revival of classical principles and images
Illusion of three dimensional space, viewer and scene connected
The Limbourg brothers expanded on the possibilities of illuminated manuscripts
Book of Hours for Jean, duke of Berry ( ) brother of King Charles V of France
Duke was an art patron, collected jewels, rare artifacts, manuscripts
Book of hours was used to recite prayers, replaced traditional psalters which were the typical liturgical book in private hands
Book of Hours were favorite possessions of Northern artistocracy in 14th & 15th cent and contributed to the decentralization of religious practice which was a factor in the Protestant Reformation in early 16th cent
**Most famous pictures in Illuminated Manuscript; they represent 12 months showing scenes of peasants and nobility
Above each picture is a lunette depicting the chariot of the sun as it makes its yearly cycle through the 12 months and zodiac signs
**Visually shows the duke and his relationship to the peasants
January: Depicts a New Year’s reception at court
Duke shown with fire screen behind him, almost like a halo, chamberlain next to him urges guests forward with “aproche aproche”
Richness and extravagance shown by spread of food and tapestry in background

4. Limbourg Brothers (Pol, Hennequin, Herman), October, from Les Tres Riches Heures du Duc de Berry, , Ink on Vellum, approx 8 ½” x 5 ½” Fig 20-2
October: focuses on the peasantry, depicts a sower, harrowerer on horseback, washerwoman, other city dwellers who promenade in front of the Louvre (king’s residence at this time)
Peasants look pleasant –shows duke’s sense of himself as fair to the peasants, compassionate master
*Naturalism continues: close observation of natural world, showing perceptual reality;
*Show the Duke as a devout man, cultured bibliophile, art patron and powerful leader
*Expanded range of subject matter unique –genre (everyday) subject matters in a religious book shows integration of religious and secular subjects
Art historians cannot discern which brother worked on which image –all 3 brothers died in the same year, 1416 before completing the book of hours -70 years later another court artist finished the book

5. Jan Van Eyck, Ghent Altarpiece-closed, Saint Bavo Cathedral, Ghent, Belgium, completed 1432, oil on wood, 11’ 6” x 7’ 6” Fig 20-5
Altarpiece: placed behind the altar (most common area); served as backdrops for the Mass
Mass: ritual celebration of the Holy Eucharist: prayer, contemplation, art traditionally used to give visual form to complex theological concepts
Altarpieces were didactic: to offer instruction (especially for the illiterate); reinforced church doctrines for viewers, stimulated devotion
Many altarpieces depict scenes directly related to Christ’s sacrifice
Often polyptychs (hinged multipanel paintings) or carved relief panels
**Allows artists to construct narratives through a sequence of paintings, like manuscript illumination
Often remained closed on regular days and opened on feast days or special occasions or Sundays-decline of altarpiece with changing Protestant concepts of the Eucharist
Ghent altarpiece: one of the largest and most admired Flemish (Netherlands/Belgium) altarpieces of 15th cent
Joducus Vyd & his wife Isabel Borluut commissioned this from Van Eyck-he was then court painter for Philip the Good (ruler of Burgandy, Fr)
This altarpiece is the centerpiece for chapel Vyd and Borluut built; located in local church dedicated to St John the Baptist
Two of exterior panels depict donors at bottom; husband & wife painted as in niches, kneel in prayer –gaze piously at statues of St John (the Baptist and St John the evangelist)
Annunciation scene appears on upper register; Flemish town shown out the window of the center panel
Top: van Eyck depicted images of Old Test prophets Zachariah & Micah, sibyls, classical mythological prophetesses whose writings the Christian Church interpreted as prophecies of Christ

6. Jan Van Eyck, Ghent Altarpiece-open; Saint Bavo Cathedral, Ghent, Belgium, completed 1432, oil on wood, 11’ 6” x 7’ 6” Fig 20-6
Inside (or opened): Medieval conception of Humanity’s redemption
Upper register: God the Father, wearing the pope’s triple tiara, worldly crown at his feet, resplendent in deep-scarlet mantle –in majesty
God’s right: Virgin, Queen of Heaven, crown of 12 stars
St John the Baptist on God’s left
Choir of angels on either side, right angel plays the organ; Adam & Eve on far panels
Inscriptions in arches above Mary & Saint John extol the Virgin’s virtue & purity, & St Johns greatness as the forerunner of Christ
Above God’s head: “This is God, all-powerful in his divine majesty, of all the best, by the gentleness of his goodness, the most liberal giver, because of his infinite generosity.”
Entire altarpiece highlights central theme of salvation, even humans (symbolized by Adam & Eve); are sinful, they will be saved because God, will sacrifice his own son for this purpose
Lower register: symbolism of upper register
Central bottom: community of saints comes form four corners of the earth through flower filled landscape, they proceed toward the altar of the lamb & toward octagonal fountain of life; Lamb symbolizes sacrificed Son of God, heart bleeds into chalice
Fountain: river of life; on right 12 apostles and a group of martyrs in red robes advance –left prophets appear
Right background: virgin martyrs; left holy confessors approach
Other approaching groups symbolize the 4 cardinal virtues: hermits (temperance), pilgrims(prudence), knights (fortitude), Judges(justice)
Altarpiece: celebrates the whole Christian cycle from the fall to the redemption
Van Eyck rendered altarpiece in beautiful color, Van Eyck trained as a miniaturist: **Extreme attention to detail

7. Oil Paint: Allowed for very detailed rendering/painting
Traditionally said Van Eyck created them
Modern historians believe they were around prior (late 14th cent)
Glazes: translucent layers
Deep intense tonal quality
**Illusion of glowing light
Oils suited the Flemish who sought sharply focused, hard-edged, sparkling clarity of detail
Contrast: Tempera high-keyed color, sharp light, matte surface
Cennino Cennini –”Il libro dell’arte” (The Craftsman’s Handbook) –influential guidebook
Egg tempera: Velvety sheen, lightness of touch, layering (thick paint makes the paint chip)
Oils used as far back as 8th century –not until 15th did painting with oils become mainstream/widespread
Flemish artists first to use them extensively -Italian painters quickly followed their lead
Artist laid down layers of paint in transparent glazes over opaque underlayers; mutilple layers of glazes
Tempera dries quickly; oils dry uniformly & slowly, allows artists to rework
Sfumato effect: creates smoky effect, Leonardo da Vinci well known for this effect
Oils and tempera may be applied to many surfaces; often wood surfaces used; canvases used too

8. Rogier van der Weyden, Deposition, from Notre-Dame hors-les-murs, Lovain, Belgium, ca. 1435, oil on wood, 7’ 3” x 8’ 7” Fig 20-7
Rogier created fluid and dynamic compositions stressing human action & drama
Concentrated on themes such as the Crucifixion and the Pieta, moving observers dramatically by relating the sufferings of Christ
Deposition: center panel of a triptych, commissioned by Archer’s guild of Louvain for church (outside town walls) in Louvain
Rogier showed the patron by showing the crossbow (guild’s symbol) in the decorative spandrels in the corners
Does not show deep landscape (like Van Eyck did) figures compressed into a shallow stage to concentrate viewer’s attention
He imitates the large sculptured shrines so popular in the 15th cent –resembles a relief carving
*Maximum action within limited space
Very precise drawing, lots of movement that unifies the composition, strengthened by psychological means –anguish
Impact on viewer of emotional response to the scene –passionate sorrow

9. Rogier van der Weyden, Last Judgement Altarpiece (open), Hotel-Dieu, Beaune, France, ca ; oil on wood, 7’ 4” x 17’ 11” Fig 20-8
Created for Hotel-Dieu, hospital; patients prayed to saints for health with illnesses; aids in patient therapy
Side of altarpiece (not visible) Saints Anthony & Sebastian –plague saints, prayed to during the plague thought to cure the plague
Scene of the Last Judgement-reminder of choice of everlasting life or consignment to Hell
Christ in center; below Archangel Michael –holds scales to weigh souls
Panels on both sides show saints above the dead
**Hierarchy of scale used in this largely horizontal composition to show who is important (Christ large; naked souls small)

10. Rogier van der Weyden, Last Judgement Altarpiece (open), Hotel-Dieu, Beaune, France, ca ; oil on wood, 7’ 4” x 17’ 11” Fig 20-8
Details

11. Dirk Bouts, Last Supper, central panel of the Altarpiece of the Holy Sacrament, Saint Peter’s, Louvain, Belgium, , Fig 20-9
**First Northern Painter to demonstrate the use of single vanishing point
All of the orthogonals lead to a single vanishing point in the center of the mantelpiece above Christ’s head
But the small side room has its own vanishing point; landscape doesn’t match up with horizon either
First Flemish panel painting depicting this event; shows Christ consecrating the Eucharist wafer
Other Last Supper images show Judas’s betrayal or Christ comforting John
Servants shown in Flemish attire are portraits and probably the commissioners of this work

12. Robert Campin (Master of Flemalle); Merode Altarpiece (open) The Annunciation (center); ca ; oil on wood, center panel 2’ 1” x 2’ 1”, Fig 20-12
Triptych for private use
Considerably smaller than other altarpieces we have looked at –center panel 2’ square-allows for opening and closing
Annunciation theme shown again (popular theme): Archangel Gabriel approaches Mary who is reading
The artist shows a well-kept middle class Flemish home; interior scene –right side background scene confirms this
Accessories, furniture and utensils contribute to the Flemish identification-objects not merely decorative
Function as religious symbols: book, extinguished candle, lilies, copper basin, fire screen, towels, bench –Virgin’s purity
Joseph makes a mousetrap in right panel-symbolic of Christ setting bait to catch the devil –shows carpenter’s workshop
Left panel: donor shown, Peter Inghelbrecht & his wife-kneel while viewing this momentous event through an open door
Inghelbrechts are devout, middle-class couple, shown in enclosed garden –symbols of Mary’s purity along with flowers (strawberries & violet)
Inghelbrecht means “angel bringer” and workshop on right reflects wife’s name Schrinmechers (shrine makers)

13. Jan Van Eyck, Giovanni Arnolfini and His Bride, 1434, oil on wood, 2’8” x 1’ 11” Fig 20-13
Van Eyck depicted the Lucca financier (who lived in Bruges as an agent of the Medici family) & his betrothed in a Flemish bed chamber
Mundane room yet filled with symbols: almost every object shown has some purpose, reason
Shows the couple hand-in-hand taking marriage vows; cast-aside clogs represent holy ground where the marriage rite takes place
Husbands often presented brides with clogs
Little dog symbolizes fidelity (“Fido” –Latin “to trust”)
Curtains of marriage bed are open, bedpost’s finial is a tiny statue of St Margaret, patron saint of childbirth; whisk broom=domestic care
Oranges on chest represent fertility
“Eye of God” referred to twice: single candle burns(part of marriage practices) reflection in rear mirror of scene
Medallions in mirror show tiny scenes from the Passion of Christ and represent God’s promise of salvation for the figures reflected on the mirror’s convex surface

14. Jan Van Eyck, Giovanni Arnolfini and His Bride, 1434, oil on wood, 2’8” x 1’ 11” Fig 20-13 DETAIL
Flemish viewers would be familiar with objects in this work: husbands gave clogs to wives, single burning candle
Placement of two figures suggests conventional gender roles: woman stands near bed & well into the room; man stands near open window, symbol of outside world
Exquisite details, precise. Textures and reflections precise.
Mirror: not only see Giovanni Arnolfini and bride but also through the door to two people looking through the door
One is artist himself; Writing above the mirror “Johannes de Eyck fruit hic” –Jan van Eyck was here; announces he was present
** Record and sanctify this wedding/marriage (possibly)
Some other historians think that maybe this shows wife is being conferred legal privileges on his wife to conduct business in his absence
**Shows great insight into both van Eyck’s remarkable skill and Flemish life in 15th century

15. Jan van Eyck, Man in a Red Turban, 1433, oil on wood, 10 1/4”x7 ½”, Fig 20-16
Growing bourgeois market for art objects, especially in Bruges, Antwerp, and then Amsterdam due to emerging capitalism
Prosperity led to growing interest in secular art, landscapes and portraits as well as religious artworks
Ghent Altarpiece & Merode Altarpiece both show the donor painted into the works, portraits
**Significant revival of portraiture
This is completely secular portrait without religious interpretation –only personal one
**Person looks directly out at viewer; FIRST western painted portrait in 1000 years to do so
Three quarter pose, must have impressed viewers- appears that the eyes follow the viewer from all angles
Much detail: beard stubble, veins in bloodshot eyes, weathered and aging skin
ID of the sitter unknown; possible self portrait (some wording on the frame may be a clue)
It became popular to have an established artist paint portraits; desire to be memorialized; used for different purposes
When young King Charles VI of France sought a bride; an artist was hired to paint the possible candidates to help the king make his choice

16. Rogier van der Weyden, Portrait of a Lady, ca
Rogier van der Weyden, Portrait of a Lady, ca. 1460, Oil on panel, 1’ 1 3/8” x 10 1/16” Fig 20-17
Unknown young lady and commission details unclear
Dress shows noble rank; shows faithful likeness (realism); shows plain features and sitter’s character
Lowered eyes and locked thin fingers, fragile physique show reserved and pious demeanor
Style contrasts with formal Italian approach where profile often used (coins & medallions) and little personality conveyed

17. Hieronymous Bosch, Garden of Earthly Delights, Creation of Eve (left) Garden of Earthly Delights (center) Hell (right wing), , oil on wood, 7’ 2 5/8” x 6’ x 4 ¾” Fig 20-18
Video on YouTube
One of the most puzzling painters in HISTORY; Bosch ( )
Interpretations differ widely; unsure of satirist, irreligious mocker, pornographer? Heretic? Fanatic? Obsessed with guilt and sin and death?
Most famous work: Garden of Earthly Delights-enigmatic; no interpretation is universally accepted
Looks like a triptych; very large, triptych format alludes to religious function for this work
This piece resided in palace of Henry III of Nassau, regent of the Netherlands, seven years after its completion
Secular commission suggested for private use
Possible wedding commission with themes of marriage, sex and procreation
Bosh portrays a visionary world of fantasy
Left: God presents Eve to Adam in a landscape (Garden of Eden?); bizarre animals and fountain structure
Right: Contrasts left: Horrors of hell, beastly creatures devour people; impaled, strung on instruments, gambler nailed to his own table
Huge central panel with nude people cavorting in a landscape dotted with bizarre creatures and unidentifiable objects
Procreation hinted at with birds, and fruit (symbols of fertility); many paired off couples; orgiastic overtones

18. Garden of Earthly Delights, Details
Bird-Headed Monster Detail from right wing

19. Martin Shongauer, Saint Anthony Tormented by Demons, ca
Martin Shongauer, Saint Anthony Tormented by Demons, ca ; engraving, approx 1’ 1” x 11” , Fig 20-25
Graphic changes: printmaking development: a print is artwork on paper that an artist produces multiple impressions
Edition: set of series of prints from a single print surface; transfer of ink from a surface to paper, which can be done many ways
Most 15th & 16th cent artists use relief and intaglio prints
Relief: carve into a surface-usually wood; must conceptualize the work in negative, remove areas from around the images
Woodcuts: subtractive process, remove material; difficult to create fluid lines, and very think closely spaced lines; usually sharp edges, contrasts
Intaglio Process: Engraving or drypoint: scratching into a surface using a tool (burin) on a metal plate (copper) Then chemically treated with acid (etching) to create design on the plate which holds the ink
A new age blossomed in 15th cent with sudden technological advance that had widespread effects- German invention of letterpress (moveable type); printing had been known earlier in China but never developed like it did in 15th cent
Rise in literacy and the improved economy necessitated production of illustrated books on a grand scale
Nuremberg Chronicle (Fig 20-24); history of the world illustrated with over 650 illustrations
Engraving begun in 1430s; engraving began to take over the woodcut process
Martin Shongauer one of the most skilled and subtle northern master of metal engraving
** This work shows his skill –artist’s mastery and versatility of the medium: tonal values and textures
Stoic saint is clawed at by spiky demons, tear at him
Use of hatching to describe forms developed by this artist; Italians used parallel hatching (Lines)
**Northern artists tend to describe the surfaces of things rather than their underlying structures