Renaissance- 16th Century North Flashcards
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, amputated limbs
crucifixion 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)
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
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)
Quinten Massys, Money-Changer and His Wife, 1514
genre scenes- scenes from everyday life w/ moralizing themes; 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
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
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 Dinteville, 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 string, skull & crossbones on Dinteville’s hat
knowledge of liberal arts= surrounding objects
