Northern Renaissance

Unit 3: Early Europe and Colonial Americas

Context

"Northern" Renaissance includes areas of Northern France, Holy Roman Empire (Germany), the Netherlands, Denmark, and England in the 15th c. CE.
The official "Renaissance" or "rebirth" of classical ideas from antiquity (Rome) begins in 1400 CE in Florence, Italy and was art creation funded by wealthy merchants/bankers.
After the fall of the Roman Empire, artistic ideas shifted north in the 8th and 9th c. CE.
Prosperous commercial and mercantile interests in trading towns like Flanders stimulated interest in the arts. Capitalism was emerging everywhere, and the first stock exchange was established in Antwerp in 1460.
Cities vied with one another for the most sumptuously designed cathedrals, town halls, and altarpieces.

Iconoclasm - Protestantism vs. Catholicism

The Reformation

1517: The Reformation - Began when German monk/scholar, Martin Luther, nailed a list of complaints titled "The Ninety-Five Theses" to the doors of All Saints Church in Wittenberg, Germany.

One of the top discussions was the sale of indulgences (people buying their way into Heaven). Luther wanted reform clarification on spiritual issues. This led to a split in the Christian faith-
1. Countries that were converted into Christianity the latest became Protestant: Germany, Scandinavia, & the Netherlands.
2. Countries that had Christian traditions the longest stayed as Catholic: Spain, Italy, Portugal, & Poland
Luther facilitated the lay public's access to biblical truths by translating the Bible into the vernacular.
Calvinists were the main people that progressed the iconoclastic movement and destroyed paintings and sculptures of holy figures.
Protestants believed that one could connect with God through the act of intervening on the behalf of another (intercession).
Protestants believed that faith was deeply personal. Protestant churches were relatively plain, while the Catholic churches were heavily decorated with artworks to facilitate prayer, the act of repentance, and becoming closer to God.

The Counter-Reformation

1540's: The Catholic and Counter-Reformation -

Ignatius Loyola established the Jesuits, a holy order that was organized in a military fashion. Required absolute faith and obedience. Jesuits swore to suppress Protestantism.

Northern Renaissance Painting

Moveable Type

This device could mass produce books and make them available to almost anyone, which allowed them to be circulated on a wide scale.
The first book ever printed with mechanical type was the Bible, and while the text was made using the printing press, calligraphers were responsible for hand-painting flourishes on each chapter.
Prints were mass produced and relatively inexpensive, and could spread an artist's fame much faster than paintings alone.
Prints began as woodcuts, then engravings, and later etchings. Each becoming more and more detailed with time.

Oil Paint

Prior to this, wall paintings were done in fresco and panel paintings in tempera.
Oil paint produces rich colors, which accurately imitates natural hues and tones. It can generate enamel-like surfaces and sharper details. It also preserves well in wet climates.
Oil paint is not quick drying, which allows artists to make changes onto what they previously painted.

Altarpieces

Northern European altarpieces are often cupboards rather than screens, with wings that open and close, folding neatly into one another.
A large central scene is the most important and is sometimes carved rather than painted, as sculpture was considered a higher art form.
Smaller paintings were designed for portability, while larger ones were meant to be housed in an elaborate Gothic frame that enclosed the main scenes.
Altarpieces usually have a scene painted on the outside, visible during the week. On Sundays, during key services, the interior of the altarpiece is exposed to view.

Influences

Heavily influenced by International Gothic Painting (a courtly elegant art form) and begun by Italian artists in the 14th century. The style of painting features thin, graceful figures that usually have an S-shaped curve like Late Gothic sculpture. Costumes are depicted in the latest fashions and most stylish fabrics, with gold in abundance to indicate the wealth of figures/patrons who sponsored the work. International Gothic Paintings often have elaborate frames to match the painting style.
Northern European art during the 16th century is characterized by the assimilation of Italian Renaissance ideas with Northern European context. Michelangelo was enormously popular in Northern Europe (even though he never visited) but many other Italian artists traveled there including the elderly Leonardo da Vinci.
Northern European painting has a fondness for nature which was not common in Italian art. Landscapes generally have a trace of human involvement, sometimes shown by the presence of buildings or farms or even small people in an overwhelming setting. Atmospheric perspective is featured primarily in landscapes, with a reluctance to use linear perspective.

Patronage and Artistic Life

Many artists, like Albrecht Durer, tried to resolve the issue of Protestant iconoclasm and Catholic images by turning to other types of painting like portraits. Artists also focused more on the lives or ecstasies of saints to convey in their work. Protestants believed that God could be reached directly through human intercession, so when paintings of Jesus were permitted, he was often portrayed as direct or forceful. Catholics wanted intermediaries, such as the Virgin Mary, saints, or the priesthood to direct their thoughts, so images were more permissible to them. Idolatry was not endorsed, so these images of intermediaries were only meant to be reminders of what or who to pray towards.

Due to a capitalist market system flourishing in Northern Europe, buying and selling artworks became a commodity. New technologies in printmaking made artists internationally popular. Johann Gutenberg (1400-1468) popularized the printing press. Originally invented in China but Gutenberg was the first to make interchangeable moveable metal type from lead molds.

Unit Vocabulary

Altarpiece - a painted or sculpted panel set on an altar in a church

Annunciation - in Christianity, an episode in the Book of Luke 1:26-38 in which Angel Gabriel announces to Mary that she would be the Virgin Mother of Jesus

Donor - a patron of a work of art, who is often seen in that work

Engraving - a printmaking process in which a tool called a burin is used to carve into a metal plate, causing impressions to be made in the surface. Ink is passed into the crevices of the plate and paper is applied. The result is a print with remarkable details and finely shaded contours.

Etching - a printmaking process in which a metal plate is covered with a ground made of wax. The artist uses a tool to cut into the wax to leave the plate exposed. The plate is then submerged into an acid bath, which eats away the exposed portions of the plate. The plate is removed from the acid and cleaned, and ink is filled into the crevices caused by acid. Paper is applied and an impression is made. Etching produces the finest detail of the three types of early prints.

Oil paint - a paint in which pigments are suspended in an oil-based medium. Oil dries slowly allowing for corrections or additions; oil also allows for a great range of luster and minute details.

Predella - the base of an altarpiece that is filled with small paintings, often narrative scenes.

Tilted Perspective - Northern Renaissance painters were more concerned with capturing the intricate details of everyday objects, sometimes leading to a slightly distorted perspective to highlight specific elements. A rejection of linear perspective found in Italian Renaissance work.

Triptych - a three-paneled painting or sculpture.

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