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Art History Vol. 2 Marilyn Stokstad & Michael W. Cothren Pearson

Chapter 19 - Learn About It (Listed below are items to consider as you read the chapter)

1.  Analyze how Flemish painters gave scrupulous attention to describing the textures and luminosity of objects in the natural world and in domestic interiors, as well as having an extraordinary interest in evoking human likeness in portraits.

2.  Uncover the complex symbolic meanings that saturated both settings and subjects of northern European paintings.

3. Explore the ways in which northern European paintings of the fifteenth century captured in concrete form the spiritual visions of their meditating donors.

4. Investigate the emergence of printing as a major pictorial medium.

Jan van Eyck DOUBLE PORTRAIT OF GIOVANNI ARNOLFINI AND HIS WIFE 1434. Oil on wood panel, 33" × 22-1/2" (83.8 × 57.2 cm).

The National Gallery, London. [Fig. 19-01]

The Northern Renaissance

•  Closely observing and detailing nature accurately through art became popular.

•  The concept of individual personalities also rose to prominence, and more artists began to sign their work.

•  New power of Flanders and the greater Netherlands

Painting and Sculpture for the Chartreuse de Champmol

•  Philip the Bold sponsored the building of the chartreuse at Champmol.

•  Melchior Broederlam ! The altarpiece called for scenes of the

Adoration of the Magi, Crucifixion, and Entombment, which Broederlam renders in the International Style.

Melchior Broederlam ANNUNCIATION, VISITATION, PRESENTATION IN THE TEMPLE, AND FLIGHT INTO EGYPT

Exterior of the wings of the altarpiece of the Chartreuse de Champmol. 1393-1399. Oil on wood panel, 5'5-3/4" × 4'1-1/4" (1.67 × 1.25 m).

Musée des Beaux-Arts, Dijon. [Fig. 19-02a]

Melchior Broederlam ANNUNCIATION, VISITATION, PRESENTATION IN THE TEMPLE, AND FLIGHT INTO EGYPT

Exterior of the wings of the altarpiece of the Chartreuse de Champmol. 1393-1399. Oil on wood panel, 5'5-3/4" × 4'1-1/4" (1.67 × 1.25 m).

Musée des Beaux-Arts, Dijon. [Fig. 19-02b]

Art and Its Contexts: Altars and Altarpieces

•  As a table, the altar is a site where priests celebrate Mass.

•  Altarpieces are painted, carved, and placed at the back of the altar so that they appear to join to the altar itself.

•  A winged altarpiece could be a diptych, triptych, or polyptych, consisting of many panels.

ART AND ITS CONTEXTS: Altars and Altarpieces Diptych, triptych, and winged triptych altarpiece.

ART AND ITS CONTEXTS: Altars and Altarpieces Altar and triptych altarpiece.

Manuscript Illumination

•  Wealthy patrons treasured volumes of secular writing as well as religious texts.

•  Only the most lavish books would have full-page miniature paintings set off with frames. ! They were conceived as windows

looking out at landscapes.

Manuscript Illumination

•  The Limbourg Brothers ! Three brothers became famous for their

miniature paintings. ! On the February page of Très Riches

Heures, farmers relax before a fire. • Gothic conventions still seen in this work include the cutaway view of the house, attention to anecdotal detail, and the high placement of the horizon line.

Paul, Herman, and Jean Limbourg FEBRUARY: LIFE IN THE COUNTRY, TRÈS RICHES HEURES

1411-1416. Colors and ink on parchment, 11-3/8" × 8-1/4" (29 × 21 cm). Musée Condé, Chantilly, France. [Fig. 19-05]

Manuscript Illumination

•  The Limbourg Brothers ! The January page depicts an aristocratic

household, barely hinting of the harsh winter represented in the previous work. • Luxury items attest to the wealth and lavish lifestyle of this patron of the arts.

Paul, Herman, and Jean Limbourg JANUARY: LIFE IN THE COUNTRY, TRÈS RICHES HEURES

1411-1416. Colors and ink on parchment, 11-3/8" × 8-1/4" (29 × 21 cm). Musée Condé, Chantilly, France. [Fig. 19-06]

Manuscript Illumination

•  The Mary of Burgundy Painter ! The painting of Mary at Her Devotions

shows viewers two windows: one is the frame of the painting itself, and the other is a view into the far reaches of the church interior.

! The message is of private faith. • Christians of this time were encouraged to imagine themselves within biblical events to feel a stronger connection.

Mary of Burgundy Painter MARY AT HER DEVOTIONS, HOURS OF MARY OF BURGUNDY Before 1482.

Colors and ink on parchment, size of image 7 1/2" × 5 1/4" (19.1 × 13.3 cm). Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, Vienna. [Fig. 19-07]

Textiles

•  Flemish textiles were treasured arts of the Renaissance. !  They were portable, displayable symbols of wealth

as well as practical means of warmth. •  The Unicorn Tapestry

!  The Unicorn is Found section of the Hunt of the Unicorn was preserved.

!  Subtle modeling indicates virtuosity of the weaver. !  The natural world has symbolic meaning for the

Resurrection in the lions and stag. •  Plants and the unicorn itself carry other meaning

as well.

UNICORN IS FOUND AT THE FOUNTAIN From the Hunt of the Unicorn tapestry series. c. 1495-1505. Wool, silk, and silver- and

gilt-wrapped thread (13-21 warp threads per inch), 12'1" × 12'5" (3.68 × 3.78 m). Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Gift of John D. Rockefeller Jr., The Cloisters

Collection, 1937 (37.80.2) [Fig. 19-08]

Technique: Oil Painting

•  Limitations of tempera paint resulted in the Flemish preference for oil paint.

•  It is a viscous medium that has time to smooth out during the drying process.

•  Additionally, it can be applied in thin layers called glazes that can create the appearance of an interior glow.

The Founders of the Flemish School

•  The Master of Flémalle ! Robert Campin is identified by some art

historians ! The Mèrode Altarpiece is a triptych of

relatively small size. • The Annunciation is the theme of the central panel.

Workshop of the Master of Flémalle MÉRODE ALTARPIECE (TRIPTYCH OF THE ANNUNCIATION) (OPEN)

c. 1425-1430s. Oil on wood panel, center 25-1/4" × 24-7/8" (64.1 × 63.2 cm); each wing approx. 25-3/8" × 10-3/4" (64.5 × 27.6 cm).

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. The Cloisters Collection, 1956 (56.70) [Fig. 19-10]

The Founders of the Flemish School

•  Rogier van der Weyden ! The peak of his career was spent in

Brussels, where the artist was the official city painter.

! Deposition presented a popular theme for the time because of its dramatic, personally engaging portrayal. • Mourners have individual reactions to the scene. • Color and pattern enhance this piece.

Rogier van der Weyden DEPOSITION From an altarpiece commissioned by the crossbowmen's guild, Louvain, Belgium.

Before 1443, possibly c. 1435-1438. Oil on wood panel, 7'2-5/8" × 8'7-1/8" (2.2 × 2.62 m). Museo del Prado, Madrid.

[Fig. 19-16]

The Founders of the Flemish School

•  Jan van Eyck ! A huge polyptych painted for the

Cathedral of St. Bavo in Ghent is his best known work.

A Broader Look: The Ghent Altarpiece

•  The Ghent Altarpiece showed remarkable surface realism in textures such as jewels and human flesh.

•  Closed, its colors were muted and sober; when it opened on Sundays and feast days, it was vibrantly colored.

•  Some historians believe Hubert van Eyck began the painting, but others believed it was Jan's workshop.

Jan and Hubert (?) van Eyck GHENT ALTARPIECE (CLOSED), ANNUNCIATION WITH DONORS

Completed 1432. Oil on panel, height 11'5" (3.48 m). Cathedral of St. Bavo, Ghent. [Fig. 19-14]

Jan and Hubert (?) van Eyck GHENT ALTARPIECE (OPEN), ADORATION OF THE MYSTIC LAMB

Completed 1432. Oil on panel, 11'5-3/4" × 15'1-1/2" (3.5 × 4.6 m). Cathedral of St. Bavo, Ghent. [Fig. 19-15 A Broader Look]

The Founders of the Flemish School

•  Rogier van der Weyden ! St. Luke Drawing the Virgin and Child is

based on legend that Luke witnessed a miraculous appearance of the Virgin and Child so he could record their likenesses. • Art historians interpret it as a document of Rogier's sense of his profession; they also assert that it elevates the importance of painting as profession.

Rogier van der Weyden ST. LUKE DRAWING THE VIRGIN AND CHILD c. 1435-1440. Oil and tempera on wood panel, 54-1/4" × 43-5/8" (137.7 × 110.8 cm).

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. [Fig. 19-17]

Painting at Mid Century: The Second Generation

•  The second generation of Flemish painters produced work that was simpler, more direct, and easier to understand. ! However, the work was more

emotionally complex.

Painting at Mid Century: The Second Generation

•  Petrus Christus ! The artist painted a portrait of a

goldsmith serving two customers. ! Originally thought to be an image of St.

Eloi, it was reevaluated in 1993 as a portrait of an actual goldsmith.

A CLOSER LOOK: A Goldsmith in his Shop by Petrus Christus. 1449. Oil on oak panel, 38-5/8" × 33-1/2" (98 × 85 cm).

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Robert Lehman Collection, 1975. 1975.1.110

Painting at Mid Century: The Second Generation

•  Dieric Bouts ! Virgin and Child, at 8-1/2" tall, is an

intimate rendering of a private moment between mother and child. • Both subjects look like people who would have existed during the artist's time.

Dieric Bouts VIRGIN AND CHILD c. 1455-1460. Oil on wood panel, 8-1/2" × 6-1/2" (21.6 × 16.5 cm).

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. [Fig. 19-18]

Painting at Mid Century: The Second Generation

•  Hugo van der Goes ! The Portinari altarpiece was

exceptionally large and its patrons were portrayed on the wing interiors. • Its theme was the Nativity as told by Luke. • Meadows and woods are meticulously painted and light plays a large role. • Symbols that viewers would have interpreted dot this work.

Hugo van der Goes PORTINARI ALTARPIECE (OPEN) c. 1474-1476. Tempera and oil on wood panel; center 8'3-1/2" × 10' (2.53 × 3.01 m),

wings each 8'3-1/2" × 4'7-1/2" (2.53 × 1.41 m). Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence. [Fig. 19-19a]

Hugo van der Goes PORTINARI ALTARPIECE (OPEN) c. 1474-1476. Tempera and oil on wood panel; center 8'3-1/2" × 10' (2.53 × 3.01 m),

wings each 8'3-1/2" × 4'7-1/2" (2.53 × 1.41 m). Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence. [Fig. 19-19b]

Hugo van der Goes PORTINARI ALTARPIECE (OPEN) c. 1474-1476. Tempera and oil on wood panel; center 8'3-1/2" × 10' (2.53 × 3.01 m),

wings each 8'3-1/2" × 4'7-1/2" (2.53 × 1.41 m). Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence. [Fig. 19-19c]

Europe Beyond Flanders

•  At first, Flemish artists worked in foreign courts or their works were commissioned and exported.

•  By the end of the fifteenth century, distinctive regional variations of Flemish art could be found throughout Europe.

Germany and Switzerland

•  Michael Pacher ! Painter and sculptor Pacher was

commissioned for a large altarpiece that survives in its original setting. • Open, it shows a sculptural ensemble flanked by four panel paintings. • Other artists collaborated with him for the execution of the work. • The use of soft wood allowed for high detailing.

Michael Pacher ST. WOLFGANG ALTARPIECE Church of St. Wolfgang, Austria. 1471-1481.

Carved, painted, and gilt wood; wings are oil on wood panel. [Fig. 19-26]

The Graphic Arts

•  Only in the fifteenth century did woodblock printing of images and text on paper replace copying of each book by hand.

•  Woodcut and engraving were techniques used by printmakers.

Single Sheets

•  The Buxheim St. Christopher ! This devotional image was glued to the

inside cover of another manuscript. ! Both the cutting of the block and the

printing itself are high quality with varying line widths.

THE BUXHEIM ST. CHRISTOPHER Mid 15th century. Hand-colored woodcut, 11-3/8" × 8-1/8" (28.85 × 20.7 cm).

Courtesy of the Director and Librarian, the John Rylands University Library, the University of Manchester, England. [Fig. 19-27]

Single Sheets

•  Martin Schongauer ! Schongauer learned the technique from

his father and produced The Temptations of St. Anthony.

! The saint shows no sign of torment due to his inner focus.

Martin Schongauer THE TEMPTATIONS OF ST. ANTHONY c. 1470-1480. Engraving, 12-1/4" × 9" (31.1 × 22.9 cm).

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Rogers Fund, 1920 (20.5.2) [Fig. 19-28]

Technique: Woodcuts and Engravings on Metal

•  Woodcuts are made by cutting away areas around drawn lines on a block, leaving the lines in high relief.

•  Engraving uses burins to cut into the metal plate.

•  Making multiple prints from a single version was a team effort.

TECHNIQUE: Woodcuts and Engravings of Metal

Printed Books

•  The use of woodcuts for printmaking began to replace written manuscripts.

•  Movable-type printing was achieved with the Gutenberg press. ! This allowed for a number of identical

books to be made concurrently. •  Rapid spread of these texts enhanced

intellectual and spiritual life across Europe.

Printed Books

•  The Nuremburg Chronicle was published in 1493 and contained 1,809 woodcut illustrations. ! The panoramic City of Nuremburg

spread was painted by hand with color to enhance its appeal.

Michael Wolgemut, Wilhelm Pleydenwurff, and workshop THE CITY OF NUREMBERG Nuremberg Chronicle, published by Anton Koberger in 1493. Woodcut within a printed book, hand-colored after printing,

each page 18-1/2" × 12-3/4" (47 × 32.4 cm). Bibliothèque Mazarine, Paris. [Fig. 19-29]