Mannerism and Northern Renaissance

What was one thing that caused the mannerism period?

during high Renaissance, the top 3 artists brought Renaissance to their peak

younger artists had to do something different

• decided to exaggerate and distort

What was the second causal for the Mannerism period?

in 1527 Rome was violently sacked

this deeply affected the culture

a broader instability developed

Italian humanists questioned logic, reason, order

+ Protestant revolution was spreading across Europe

• challenging authority of the Church

Recap: What were the 2 main reasons for Mannerism?

1. Response to unreachable perfection of High Renaissance ('We have reached the peak so we need to pivot')

2. General anxiety of the times (political crisis and disillusionment)

What is Mannerism art?

art becomes stylized, theatrical, dramatic

imblaanced compositions

asyymetrical arragement

unclear separation between levels

ambiguous settings

unusual representation of very-known themes

distortions (scale, perspective)

Angelo Bronzino, Venus, Cupid, Folly and Time, c. 1545. Oil on wood.

textbook example of Mannerist painting

figures are condensed and pushed towards front of canvas/foreground

• ambiguous space

• no one point linear persepctive

• manipulation of space

theatrical

• curtain backdrop

• masks displayed

distortion of proportions

• elongated

• cupid’s neck is unusually long

playful, erotic, risqué themes

• Cupid and Venus share a kiss

multiple interpretations

How was Mannerism involved in architecture

classical elements of architecture in a playful, unorthodox way

rejected balance, order, unity

often used columns on buildings that looked important but they did not support any part of the building

e.g. Romano, Palazzo

• keystones (typically structural elements) are popping out, falling out of building

When and where was the Northern Renaissance centralized?

peak in 15th and early 16th century

centered in Northern Europe (France. Belgium, Netherlands, Germany)

distinct movement from Italian Renaissance

What were the two Northern Renaissance technical developments?

1. oil painting

2. print making

What was going on historically during 15th century? How was art doing?

great social and political turmoil

widespread conflict

• 100 years war between France and England

great economic development

• trade between cities

art thrives

• private patronage commissioned art and fuelled Northern Renaissance

Who was the inventor of oil painting? What did oil painting allow for?

Jan van Eyck

first dutch painter to receive international credit

oil paints allows for more minute and detailed works

oil paints can be layered

richer colours and saturation

Hubert and Jan van Eyck, Ghent Altarpiece, Saint Bavo Cathedral, Ghent, Belgium, ca. 1423-1432. Oil on wood.

altar piece commissioned for private chapel

open or close the piece based on circumstance

depicts donors and sculptures

religious scenes

level of detail to surfaces and textures

recording with exactitude

What occurred in art with the emergence of capitalism and a wealthier middle class?

merchant class becomes more wealthy

fuels growing market for art

• in particular secular art

• not religious art

• portraiture of specific, identifiable figures

• testimony of social importance and wealth

What did Jan van Eyck start for signing portrait?

artists began signing their works or painting themselves in it

start of self-portraiture in order to underscore their importance

making record of an important event and signifying that the artist was there

What was the start of the printing press?

print making

carving a wood block, cover it in ink and press it against desired surface to get mirror image

subtractive process

serial production of images

wood carving is limited

led to scribes and manuscripts

What came after wood block print pressing?

wood replaced with metal carving

allowed for more subtle line work and hatching

distinctive shadows and textures

more detailed

How did print pressing allow for expansion of work and economic success for some artists?

prints on paper are more affordable and portable

can reach wider audience through circulation

paper is cheaper than canvases

Durer used print making to achieve international fame

Who was Dürer? How is he represented in this self-portraiture?

Albrecht Dürer, Self Portrait, 1500. Oil on wood.

he travelled to Italy

• believed in artists being of high value and not just craftmen

he appears noble and Christ-like

wearing a fur coat to show wealth

illuminated with a divine glow

symmetrical and centered

he is idealized (no wrinkles or aging)

gaze is assertive

What are features of Durer’s prints? How are they representative of the Italian Renaissance?

figures are muscular and tense

relationship between figures

contrapposto for movement or anticipation

How was the state of the world and protestant reformation shown in Durer’s works?

despite being into Italian development he felt compelled to follow Luther and support Protestant ideas

in his works he pushes Saint Peter behind John the Evangelist

What was the shift in art of the Northern Renaissance and Luther?

increased focus on secular subjects

still-lives, genre scenes depicting everyday life

• The Hunters in the Snow painting

• communal activities

• focus on daily life and the mundane

private patronages

echoes principles of reformation

Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Netherlandish Proverbs, 1559. Oil on wood.

focused on the peasant life

not biblical or mythological

folk proverbs

1. man beats his head against wall

2. man shoots one arrow after another but hits nothing

3. monk ties a fake beard to face of Christ (critique of Catholic church)

4. man gnawing on pillar (exhibiting excessive religious zeal)