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 diminution, 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/ Crucifixion 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
Portinari was Italian businessman in Bruges; Northern style of textural differentiation (brocades, velvet), close attention to detail, naturalism, 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
Layers of symbolism: red lily=Christ suffering to come, white and purple irises= purity and royalty; columbines= Seven Sorrows of Mary, red carnation= nails of crucifixion, sheaf of wheat parallels Christ, associated with Eucharist; Corinthian column= associated with Mary
space not often governed by linear perspective, lacks unified space
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)
