ARTH101: Art Appreciation

Flanders in 1350

Let's move to Northern Europe during the early 1400s (when Masaccio and Donatello, and Brunelleschi are in Florence). So far, we have been exclusively in Florence, Italy. But a Renaissance also occurred in northern Europe, in an area called Flanders (today's Belgium and part of the Netherlands).

During this time, Flanders was controlled by the Dukes of Burgundy (in France), and we call the art and culture of this area Flemish. Like Florence, Flanders encompassed an area of rich industrial and banking cities that allowed a large middle-class population to flourish. This rising middle class commissioned new, realistic images of the Northern Renaissance.

At the time, Flanders was relatively far from Italy. Although it does not seem a great distance today, imagine crossing the Alps on a mule to travel from Italy to Flanders. It was not easy! Consequently, =the Renaissance in Florence during the 1400s developed separately from the Renaissance in Flanders in Northern Europe. There were some business contacts, back-and-forth travel, and artistic exchange, but not much.

Classical Antiquity?

The fact that we are far from Italy tells us something about the character of the Northern Renaissance. In Italy, we said the Renaissance was a rebirth of the art and culture of Ancient Greece and Rome. However, in Northern Europe, we are far from the important centers of Ancient Greek and Roman culture. So the Renaissance in the North is not a rebirth of Ancient Greek and Roman culture the way it was in Florence.

Oil Paint

Here is another important difference: the artists of the North invented oil paint! They used oil paint for 50 years or more before they used it in Italy (where they used tempera until then). Think about what oil paint can do that fresco and tempera can not do! Keep this in mind as you look at the first Northern Renaissance painting we will discuss, the Merode Altarpiece. The Renaissance in Northern Europe was very different from the Renaissance in Italy, as we shall see.

Saylor Academy Knowledge Check

Source: Smarthistory, smarthistory.org
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