The Rise of Capitalism

Chivalry was replaced with the accumulation of welath through banking--patronage of the arts by the wealthy

The Burgundian Netherlands

Netherlands was the financial capital of Europe for a long time durring the 14c.

First 3/4 of the 15c Burgundy was very powerful, usually supporting England in the 100 years war for economic reasons

CLAUS SLUTER (active c. 1380-1406)--Burgundian--sculpted The Well of Moses which shows great detail and textural work, but lacks "interior movement, or weight shift."

The North was used to stained glass and book illuminations so with the influence of Italian murals and panel painting from the International Style, they at first worked small and then started to paint for real around 1400.

THE LIMBOURG BROTHERS--1413-1416--Les Trés Riches Heures du Duc de Berry--International Style at its Peak--illuminated manuscript of a religious nature with hihgly secular and faithful to nautre portrayals of secular activities--predates the humanisation of religious work

Norhtern pinter evolved out of the illuminator

Bankers had the money but the nobility, clergy and the guilds still ruled

Little place for women in employment

Introduction of oil paints--"northern painting of the fifteenth century is characterized by a deep, intense tonality, glowing light (the new colors were seemingly lit form within), and hard, enamel-like surfaces, quite unlike the high-keyed color, sharp light, and rather matte surfaces of Italian tempera."

Italy--interested in the underlying structure of the forms so the spread of Oils didn’t effect their style much--North--interested in the appearances themselves so the new medium radically changed how they portrayed things

ROBERT CAMPIN (c 1378-1444)--The Mérode Altarpiece--factual, more common place representation o fthe Annunciation--middle class--thurough humanization of the religious theme--moved into a particular time and place--all the carpenter’s tools painted--NO HALOS--difference between religious and worldly concerns "nearly obliterated"

The Ghent Altarpiece--1432--folding altarpiece--disparity of scale, possibly the religious significance at the time made this irrelevant

Franciscan concept of benevolant God--in the writing and the idea that the fallen Adam will be saved

Extreme attention to detail and naturalism

JAN VAN EYCK (c 1390-1441)--painter

The Virgin with the Canon van der Paele--1436--excellent use of saurated color--not overdone--various systems of perspective: people are not really looking at the Virgin, the floor and celining don’t line up--the thought of the painting as a window has not yet occured (very good though)

worked from the likeness first unlike the italians which made the 3D mass of the item secondary and not quite right--head of the donor in white

Man in a Red Turban--not many portriats were without religious context--first one in 1000 years to be looking directly at the viewer

Initial motivation to explore the most minute detial in the idea that without God seeing it it isn’t there.

Giovanni Arnolfini and His Bride--1434--extreme detial, most of which refers to the sanctity and properness of the wedding--AMAZING!! (20-8)--no movement--strong formality and strictness and symetry.

ROGIER VAM DER WEUDEM "Rogier" (c. 1400-1464)--removes the secondary symbolism of JAN VAN EYCK and replaces it with dynamic human action and drama

Escorial Desposition--1435--compressed the background rather than putting in something impressive--puts the emphasis on the people and what is happening--very effective and dynamic

RORGIER had a great influence durring the entier 15c. outside of Italy.

Portrait of a Lady--1460--introspective, expressing a rigid personality, not nearly as much concentration on surface texture and getting every last detail right as JAN VAN EYCK--Italian portraits prefered the profile for a while longer

PETRUS CHRISTUS (c. 1410-1427)--The Legent of Saints Eliguis and Godeberta--1449--realism and attention to details of JAN VAN EYCK but more emphasis on structure--the people take up space in a convincing manner

DIRK BOUTS (c. 1415-1475)--Last Supper---1464-1468--first example of sucessfull single point perspective in the North--however it only holds in the room--outside fails--figures scaled properly--no emotion or mood--almost a technical excercise

By the mid 15c. the scientific techniques of Italy were begining to spread to the north

HUGO VAN DER GOES (c. 1440-1482)--The ADORATION OF THE SHEPARDS--1476--somber, introspective--increadiably relaistic shepards--people in sizes realtive to their stature, but each is depicted with true humanity therby crossing societal lines--lots of symbols scattered about

HANS MEMLING (c. 1430-1494)--The Mystic Marrige of St. Catherine--1479--balanced, serene, highest technical quality--no longer VAN EYCK’s robustness or HUGO’s monumental somber forms

HIERONYMUS BOSCH (c. 1450-1516)--depressing, sick view of humanity--rapid painting style, not as thrurough and careful as ohter Flemish painters

France, Germany, and Spain

100 years war prevented economic growth and artistic patronage--the middle class in France was not wealthy nor interested in Art

Influence from the Flemish artists made its way into all of France--see in the softening smile, heavier drapery and more natural pose of Notre Dame de Grasse statue (1430-1440)

JEAN FOQUET--(c. 1420-1481)--Étienne Chevalier and St. Stephen--1450--Flemish 3/4 stance and clear focus, Italian architectual background and rendering of the surfaces with respect to their structure--however: dramatic secularization in that the Saint and the donor are portrayed as nearly equals

French--Avignon Pietá--Italian: ballanced mass and simple textures for the sake of more propper form--remeniscent of ROGIER VAN DER WEYDEN’s Escoria Desposition

Flemish--no motion, striving for external detail at the sacrifice of structure, high symbolism, extreme detail, great surface detail

Italian Reniassance--motion, less detail, form as in nature,

Which had emotion?

Woodcut printing and engraving come into play nin the 1430s and are well developed by the 1450s.

Conclusions

"Both Flemish and Florentien developments in paining began in the International Stye" (Trés Riches Heures 20-3) but then sharply diverged--Italy and Florecne were touched by the Classical revival because there were more remains--in the North Gothic principles remianed nearly a century longer than in Italy