Renaissance- 16th Century North

Question 1

Answer 1

Matthias Grunewald, The Isenheim Altarpiece, 1510-15

polyptych-made for Catholic church/monastery/hospital treating skin disease- St. Anthony’s Fire- fungus-tainted bread- gangrene, amputed limbs

cruxifiction exterior (German psychological realism- can relate to suffering of Christ), interior- Annunciation, Resurrection (assurance of new body- promise of Salvation), way of Salvation- pointed to by John the Baptist; final interior- polychromed retables, sculptures of plague saints (Anthony & Sebastian)

Question 2

Answer 2

Albrecht Durer, The Fall of Man, 1504

imports Italian ideas to Germany, inventor of copyright, build on engraving

Adam & Eve- classical proportions, ideal man & woman, but in Northern forest; parrots=wisdom=tree of knowledge of good and evil- sources of poses Apollo Belvedere (Adam),

Humors- medieval- blood (rabbit), phlegm (ox), yellow bile (cat), black bile (elk)- emotional & physical balance-

Eve takes apple=chaos=goat falls off cliff

engraving- parallel hatching (Italy)+ cross hatching (North)- Northern surface description+Italian anatomy

Question 3

Answer 3

Hieronymus Bosch, Garden of Earthly Delights, ca. 1510-15

Bosch known for birds-eye view and fantastical creatures, yet retains Catholic belief system; Last Judgment type, continuation of Catholic polyptychs

closed-grisaille, creation of the Earth- 3rd day- separate light/darkness, land/water, God outside world

open- colorful- springtime (Garden of Eden but trouble already), summer (Descendants of Adam & Eve- lustful, unchaste, animalistic), winter (pleasures turned against, Sodom on horizon, dominated by Satan & Tree-Man of death- indulged in life- tortures in death)

Question 4

Answer 4

Quinten Massys, Money-Changer and His Wife, 1514

genre scenes- scenes from everyday life w/ moralizing thems; symbolism in everyday

wife distracted from prayer book by money; frame quotes Leviticus re: being just; 2 men in doorway gossiping; mirror reflects customer (us), church in background- spiritual not material

fruit=fertility, clear vessel= Virgin’s womb, extinguished candle=memento mori

Question 5

Answer 5

Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Hunters in the Snow, 1565

bird’s eye view- series of paintings of seasons- cycle of seasons=ages of man, zodiac

not topographically accurate- no mountains in Netherlands- movement towards pure landscape with no narrative

scene broken into diagonals & counter-diagonals- bird marks horizon line and divides foreground/background

landscape celebrates God but no overt religious imagery

Question 6

Answer 6

Hans Holbein the Younger, French Ambassadors, 1533

double portrait- popular in England/North- esp. after Henry VIII breaks with Pope & forms Anglican church

Jean de Dinterville, Georges de Selve

Holbein trained in North- appreciates oil paint, surface textural differentiation

anamorphic image- distorts perspective- seen at sharply foreshortened angle- memento mori- religious symbolism also in broken lute strong, skull & crossbones on Dinteville hat

knowledge of liberal arts= surrounding objects