1. Sandrine Le Bail AP Art History
Early Renaissance
in Northern Europe
15th century
2. Europe in the 15th century
Burgundian Netherlands =
Belgium, the Netherlands,
Luxembourg and Northern
France
3. Flanders in the 15th century
The most powerful rulers north of the Alps
during the first three-quarter of the 15th century
were the dukes of Burgundy. They controlled
Flanders, which derived its wealth from wool
and banking, and were great art patrons.
4. Flanders in the 15th century
• Active and prosperous capitalist society
• Emergence of a new social class
• Importance of art and patronage to show the
new wealth
5. Oil Revolution
• In Italy: tempera – egg
• Oil paint produces exceptionally rich colors
• imitate natural hues and tones
• Enamel-like surfaces
• Sharp details
• Good conservation in wet climates
• Slow drying – more possibilities for
“pentimenti”
6. Oil painting
Flemish painters popularized the use of oil
paints on wood panels. By superimposing
translucent glazes, they created richer colors
than possible using tempera or fresco.
7. International Gothic until 1450
• Courtly, elegant
• Natural details
• Splendid costumes
• Abundance of gold
• Architecture carefully rendered
• Opening up walls
8. Northern painting
• Opened the walls
• High horizon
• Lot of symbolism
• Interest for the details and everyday reality
• Not interested by geometrical perspective like
Italian
10. Painters you have to know for the
exam
• Limbourg Brothers
• Robert Campin
• Jan Van Eyck
• Rogier Van Weyden
• Hans Memling
• Hugo van der Goes
11. Limbourg Brothers,
Les très riches heures du Duc de Berry,
1413-1416
Book of hours – illuminated manuscript, prayer
book organized according to the liturgical
calendra
International gothic
Patron: Jean de Berry
Manuscript illumination
12. January
Astrological sign associated
to each month
Jean’s coat of arms
Jean de Berry is giving out New year’s
gifts
17. Robert Campin, The Mérode
Altarpiece, 1425-1428
Donors Annunciation S. Joseph
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21. Robert Campin, The Mérode
Altarpiece, 1425-1428
• Triptych
• Presence of the patrons
• Meticulous handling of paint
• Three dimensional figures modeled with light and
shade
• Intricate details
• Symbolism
• Annunciation set in a middle-class Flemish home
22. Altarpieces
A major art form in churches and private homes
alike was the altarpiece with folding wings. In
Robert Campin’s Mérode altarpiece, the
Annunciation takes place in a Flemish house.
The work’s donors, depicted on the left wing are
anachronistically present as witnesses to the
sacred event. Typical of “Northern Renaissance”
painting, the everyday objects depicted often
have symbolic significance.
24. Jan van Eyck,The Ghent Altarpiece
(1432)
(on the altar of S. Bavon,Ghent)
Polyptych Oil painting
25. God
The Ghent Altar (1432)
Virgin Mary
S. John
Adam
Eve
Choir of
Angels
Judges and Knights Adoration of the lamb by All Saints
Hermits and
pilgrims
26. Holy Spirit
Fountain of life
Apostles and martyrs
Priests
Old Testament and Pagan figures
who merited Salvation
Virgins
31. S. John Evangelist with
a chalice = grisaille
and
Donor’s wife
Annunciation
S. John the
Baptist with a
lamb = grisaille
and
donor
Prophets and sibyls
32. Jan van Eyck,The Ghent Altarpiece
(1432)
• Polyptych for the altar of S. Bavon, Ghent
• Great detail
• Extreme realism
• The work inspired many other artists to
achieve perfect realism
33. Jan Van Eyck,
The Arnolfini
Portrait,
(or Arnolfini
Wedding)
1434.
34. One candle burning =
presence of Christ
S. Margaret = patron of
women in childbirth
Fruits = abundance
Shoes off – holy ground
Dog = fidelity
35.
36. Jan Van Eyck, The Arnolfini Portrait,
(or ArnolfiniWedding)
1434
• Many hidden symbols
• Great attention to details
• Bright colors (oil painting)
38. Rogier Van der Weyden, The Descent
of the Cross, c.1435-1438
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44. Rogier Van der Weyden, The Descent
of the Cross, c.1435-1438
• Commissioned for the chapel of the
Confraternity of the Archers of Leuven
• Shallow stage for figures into a confining
space
• Figures almost life-sized
• Great attention to details
• Strong emotional impact
• Figures in mirrored composition
45. Rogier Van
der Weyden,
St. Luke
depicting
the Virgin,
c.1435-1440
50. Portraits
Memling is famous for his portraits.
Jan van Eyck, Rogier van der Weyden, and others
established portraiture as an important art form
in 15th century Flanders. Their subject were
successful businessmen, both Flemish and
foreign.
54. Hugo van der Goes, Portinari
Altarpiece, c.1476
Triptych
Donor: Tommaso Portinari for the family chapel of Sant’Egidio in Florence
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58. Hugo van der Goes, Portinari
Altarpiece, c.1476
• Deep and rich colors
• Figures at different scales
• Abundance of symbols
59. Characteristics of “early
Netherlandish”
• Extensive details
• Luminous colors
• Desire to capture everyday life through
landscapes, genres, still lives and portraits
• Desire to break the barrier between real world
and the painted world through the use of trompe
l’oeil and the depiction of reflective surfaces
• Many hidden symbols
• Impact on Italian Art
Limbourg bro _ 3 brothers: Paul, Herman and Jean
Very expensive
For every month – activities of the month – show off yje patron’s wealth
Jean de Berry : great connoisseur
Naturalism of the scene
Details / material
Aproach, aproac in golden letters
Sill life
Peasants tilling the field
MET
For private devotion (small scale)
Each panel is seen form a different point of view
Light unify
MET
Donors, middle class people kneeling before the holy scene (wife added after wedding)
Floor rise slightly when the roof is pretty horizontal
Takes place in an everyday Flemish interior
Humanization of the figure
Steeply rising ground line – figures too large for the architecture they sit in
In his carpentry workshop
Mouse trap – capturing the devil
Towel and bassin – purity
Flowers with 3 buds – trinity
Mary in the floor – humilty
Angel with a cross through the windorw
Candelstick – Mary holds Jesus in her womb
Work in Burgondy for Philip the Good
1430 – moved to bruges and got married
Still in the cathedral of Saint Bavon, Ghent
24 pannels with hinges
Oil painting – glowing surface
Tiny brushes
Medium and technique merge with technique
Still in the cathedral of Saint Bavon, Ghent
Fountain of life – wash away the sins
Richness
Detail of jewel and gold tracery
Illusionistic niches
Realistic
From life model?
Elongated
Portrait like
Tchalice
Donor = Jodocus Vidj
Taste fro open landsacpe and gothic basin
National Gallery in London
Description of the material
Reference to the woman fertility
Custom of burning a candle on the first night of a wedding
Not pregnant
2 figures
Convexe mirror
Passion of Christ and a
On the top “Jan Van Eyck fuit hic”
God’s eye?
Trained with Campin
Contemporary of Van Eyck
Stylistic elements of Northern renaissance and tremendous emotion
In Madrid, Prado
Space occupied by 10 monumental figures
Golden background
Colour are deep and lustrous
Skull = Adam Jesus’s sacrifice is necessary
Donors_ crossbow guilt
Strong emotional impact of the scene
Parallele of the figures Mary and Christ
St John and Mary Magdalen
Difference of texture (heavy angular draperies)
Curves unit the setting within a compressed setting
S Shape
Great attention to details
Fine Art museum Boston
Illusion of great distance
Psychological depiction of the mother-child relationship
Self portrait of Rogier?
Saint Luke ‘s guild
Bruges – lot of trade and intense exchange with Italy
Three quarter
Italian bankers and trademen are important patrons for art
Small scale – bring back to Italy and model for Italian artists
Portinari – managed the Medici bank in Bruges
For his wedding with Maria
Originally a triptych
With landscape
Uffizi, Florence
Chapel for the larger Florence’s largest hospital
Maternity hospital
Continuous landscape on the 3 pannels
Rich colours
Light modeled the figures
Christ on a sheaf of wheat – sacredness of the Eucharist
Different scale of the people
Great influence for Italian art
Tension / anxiety
Variety of the expression
Plants with medical value and symbolic association
Sapnish earthware typical from Northern countries with vine – symbol of the sacrifice of Christ
Flowers: red _ nail flower
Columbine – Mary’s suffering and humility