Renaissance- 15th Century North Flashcards
Limbourg Brothers, Les Tres Riches Heures du Duc de Berry, 1413-1416
best example of manuscript illumination; commissioned by bibliophile & brother of King Charles V of France
12 hours instead of 8 (like D’Evreux), unique in alternating between lives of noble pleasures and peasant laborers
Rich- Int’l Gothic (courtly) style, Duke identified in secular manner but firescreen as halo; elongated figures; feast, hunting dogs; tilted up=back further in space- older medieval tradition
Peasants- naturalism, anecdotal details, happenstance, uncouth; intuitive perspective- scale dimunition, orthogonal recession (but not mathematical)
Claus Sluter, Well of Moses, 1395-1406 (Chartreuse de Champmol monastery, Dijon, France)
commissioned by Philip the Bold, monastic church for family’s tombs; monumental sculpture as base of fountain w/ Cruxifiction scene surrounded by OT patriarchs (i.e. David, Jeremiah, Zachariah, Daniel, Isaiah, Moses)
water/blood from fountain “cleanses” OT figures
New interest in textural differentiation (Moses) vs. International courtly Gothic style
St. Jerome mistranslation of Hebrew- “shining” and “horns” similar
Jan van Eyck, Giovanni Arnolfini and His Bride, Gianna Cenami (Arnolfini Wedding), 1434
Arnolfini- agent for Medici in Bruges, 2.5 feet, fine brushes, incredible detail; Eyck- pioneers use of oil- subject- dk- betrothal? memorial portrait?
laden with symbolism- Northern- woman- domestic, man- public; fertility- green dress, fruit (also Medici coat of arms); fidelity of wife=dog, clogs= wedding gift to husband- provider; lit candle- all seeing eye of God; St. Margaret- patron saint of childbirth; artist signature? witness to oath?
Rogier van der Weyden, Deposition from the Cross, 1435
massive altarpiece- commissioned by Crossbowman’s Guild- trompe l’oeil crossbows in 4 corners
Northern scene- like retable- carved altarpieces with life-sized figures and no background space
Northern approach to emotion- invention of transparent tears- more realistic approach to sadness vs. rhetorical gestures of Italians
Christ and VM in same position- cult of Virgin- VM as intercessor at Last Judgment- skull & bones= Golgotha
Hugo van der Goes, The Portinari Altarpiece, 1476
Northern style of textural differentiation, medieval symbolism, realism=immediate impact on Florentine painting- artists from North train others in Europe
massive triptych-designed for tomb- closed- grisaille of Annunciation, open- on special days- donor portraits with name saints (e.g. Tomasso Portinari- St. Thomas), hierarchy of scale
center panel- cyclical composition & continuous narrative- Christ on ground adored- reflects vision of St. Bridget
Konrad Witz, Miraculous Draught of Fish, 1444
one of 1st topographically accurate paintings, landscape specialty of Northern artists; realism brings life of Christ to us
from Altarpiece of St. Peter- Peter looks down, loses faith, begins to sink in water
depth through detail and color saturation- aerial perspective; lower horizon avoids bird’s eye projection
carefully observed natural phenomena- e.g. reflective vs. transluscent properties of water
Martin Schongauer, Saint Anthony Tormented by Demons, 1480-1490
example of intaglio printing/engraving- cuts lines into metal plate with burin, lines made by pushing burin into metal to carve grooves- clean lines necessary- rough edges smoothes with scraper
St. Anthony is plague saint, lived as hermit and tempted by Satan
illustrates Northern interest in surface description/texture (cross hatching)
