Northern Renaissance Art

1. Northern Renaissance Art Jon Cordeiro Period G

2. What was the Northern Renaissance art movement? • The Northern Renaissance movement took place in Northern Europe from around 1325 - 1600 • This movement was the counterpart to the Italian Renaissance movement, except that it took place outside of Italy. • The main areas where it took place were northern parts of Europe such as France, Germany, and the Netherlands; basically anywhere but Italy. “Ghent Altarpiece” by Hubert and Jan van Eyck

3. Characteristics of Northern Renaissance Art: • In Northern Renaissance artwork the subjects/topics were primarily focused on religious scenes, portraits, domestic interiors, and even simple scenes from everyday life. • Differentiating from Italian works, Northern pieces of art tended to be influenced more by Gothic themes from the Middle Ages. • Northern pieces also tended to stray away from the Italian mindset of having proportion and perspective in art, and was rather focused more towards incorporating minute details and colors. • Certain pieces contained immense detail from various objects in the scene all the way to individually painted hairs on a persons head.

4. Influence of Historical Events: • With the Italian Renaissance being focused on things like Humanism and more classical Greek and Roman themes, the Northern Renaissance centered around religious reform and Christian themes. • Many Northern Renaissance artists felt that their Italian counterparts had strayed away too far from secular values and themes so they intended to re-introduce them in the North. • The Northern Renaissance was also influenced by events like the Protestant Reformation and the creation of the printing press which only helped speed up the spread of Renaissance ideals and qualities throughout Europe.

5. Geographical Influences: • The actual geographical locations in which the Northern Renaissance took place affected the different mediums and styles that were used in the artwork. • For example, Northern artists strayed away from egg-based frescoes and temperas as northern climates did not cure them properly. Instead, artists pioneered oil based paints that would dry slow and last long.

6. Mediums Utilized in the North: • The main medium used in Northern Renaissance paintings was oil based paints. • These paintings were often painted upon wooden panels that would dry slow, but would last long. • Timber was a common resource in the north and so it was used commonly in paintings and sculptures.

7. Examples of Art: • “The Arnolfini Portrait” • This is an oil based portrait that was painted upon an oak panel board, dating to 1434. • This was painted by Jan van Eyck, an important figure in the Northern Renaissance movement. • Notice the attention to detail throughout the painting, to the extent where the artist even included his reflection in the background mirror.

8. “Erasmus of Rotterdam” • Painted by Hans Holbein the Younger in 1530 • Oil on wood paneling

9. “Christ Blessing the Children” • Painted in the mid-1540s by Lucas Cranach the Elder • Oil on wood paneling

10. “Martin Luther” • Painted in the workshop of Lucas Cranach the Elder around 1532. • Oil on wood paneling