Chap 19: 15th cent Art in Northern Europe

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.

used to think iot was a wedding portrait now more a post morder portrait of arnofini and his wife

Notes on video--à double portrait or memorial portrait , all theories. Was an Italian merchant. Male giving authortyi to female? Importat portant filled with symbolic items(singlc candle of symbol of god). the way they’re joints together. Signature above mirror of artist precense the portrait.

mirror in center a compelling aspect, lil round painting on mirror in enormeuos clarity,

Hair of the dog, dog is a symbol of fidelity.

Curious element become fruit on tree but wearing winter cloth, orange shows wealth. Wealth shown on carpet.

Not pregnant just an expression of the fashion

using oil paint in the way it has never been used, thinned out layer painting creating deep rich colours  and subtle light. Love of light. (shows). Northern rainanssance cause of paint texture and detail

-Giovanni was italienne cloth merchant proving fabrics to Burgundian court

-both Patron and Painter are identified with clarity

-Giovanni with personal likeness

-Jan van stamped name above convex mirror and can clearly tell by his painting style

-woman less individualized, lifting skirt over belly to follow Giovanni also seen with hand, may be pregnant unsure

-Identity of couple still debated, only wealth is assured

-surrounded by luxury, man in fur-lined, silk velvet heuque. Woman in costly wool and elaborate cutwork decoration. Painting itself showed value

-full of sacred meaning:crystal prayer beads showing couples piety; mirror symbol of of the all seeing of god and is framed of scenes of christ passion; St-margaret carved at the top of post on chair;dogs symbolize fidelity and funery associations and is an ornamental breed

part oF ghent alter piece

Jan Van Eyck was here id written above mirror almost as a witness, another witness can be seen in mirror

unknown meaning

The northern Renaissance

french for rebirth

interest in the natural world

Altars and Alterpiece

ex chartreuse de champmol

altar symbolizes the table of jesus’s last supper and the tomb of Christ and saints.

table for priest and mass, tomb usulaly had relic

Winged alter piece is DIPTYCH Two panels hinged

Triptych =2 wings fold over a center section, forming diptych when closed

Polytych=more than 3 panels

Mary of Burgundy Painter MARY AT HER DEVOTIONS, HOURS OF MARY OF BURGUNDY
Before 1482.
Colors and ink on parchment, size of image

Painted book of hours for Mary of Burgandy,, only child of Charles the bold

book of hours

71/2 by 51/4inch

earthly reality +relgious vision

cOMPLEX PICTORAL SPACE-looking through window and through and actual window

viewer in far reaches of church to gilded alter-piece where 2 ppl talking

Mary headress is detail along with vase and bull’s eye glass

mary appears twice, reading from window and foreground of personal vision inspire by her private meditation

Gothic church but not mass

Shes in private for meditation

Christians at this time were encouraged to to image themselves participating in biblical stories and sacred events to experience the protagonist

in her vision she kneels with attendants + angels in front of gracefully human virgin and child

Reading book of out, must be wealthy because book is costly,

large pice of jewelry

large hat

lots of symbolism,

window into her devotion, maybe a vision in her mind

Play of optical fantasy

angels around her therefore not eart, heavenly realm

angles look like northern renaissance

white washing

Manuscript Illumination

Paul, Herman, and Jean Limbourg FEBRUARY: LIFE IN THE COUNTRY, TRÈS RICHES HEURES
1411-1416. Colors and ink on parchment, 11-3/8" .

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.

(left)

Limbourg brother owned workshop, and assistants worked under them, everyone had a niche (script, illumination).Focus on picture, skill is present, artistic choices

some of finest netherland painters

ppl did not have last names but last name were from what region they were from

book of hours, with readings + prayers and calander of holy days

full page illustrations for calendar.

for every month illustrations had both peasent labor and aristoratic pleasure on lower field with calendar devices of chariot of sun + zodiac symbols in semicircular area

shower lower class in light +acceptable details

peasants seem to be enjoying leisureness

image desc: farm folk beside fire. usually live in hovels but shows farm is well maintained

church + village in distant

Hierarchy of class

women closest is farm owner, shareing fire with coouple who are less behaved as their father is away,

converys cold weather

gothic conventions=High placement of horizontal line, small trees and buildings compared to ppl, , house showing both exterior and interior. Mutes palette struck with diff colours. Scale relationship is consistent.

Image 2: january showing aristocratic house hold

Duke of berry behind table with lavish items and food, servants +allies

Chamberlin invites coutiers to meet the duke who’s singles out by red cloth of honor with arms and halo in the back.

tapestry battle scenes over wall

Zodiac still a big use of practice and interest

wealthy patron could afford the books

great disparity  during this time

gentle showing of peasants to make higher class not feel bad

highly censored of peasent , this would continue until realism

Interior view buttttttt there would be a wall, artist are taking liberty of an inside and outside view at the same time but this isn’t a reality

-lavish object compare to February

Describe the 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.

-flexible and luminous

-in linseed and walnut oil

-tempera is matte

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

•Civic groups, town councils, and wealthy merchants were important patrons in the Netherlands.

•Guilds oversaw nearly every aspect of members' lives.

§Artists who moved from one city to another had to work as assistants until being granted guild membership, regardless of experience

what is Majolica and picture plan

Glazed earthen ware

picture’s front surface

what is silverpoint

common preliminary step used by 15th cent flemish painter in the planning of the paintings

ex:rogier Flémalle, van der Weyden in ste.luke drawing

what is crockets

associated with flamboyant architecture known as" small, knobby, leakf like ornaments that line the steep gables and slender buttresses

describe Technique: Woodcuts and Engravings on Metal

•Woodcuts are made by cutting away areas around drawn lines on a block, leaving the lines in high relie using a gouge

•Engraving one metal uses burins to cut into the metal plate a technique called intaglio.Polish the plates, ink applied going into the crevices then the top layer of ink is wiped and when the paper and plate are help by a press the ink from crevice is transfered.

makes identical images

mulyiple prints are called edition

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

ex graphic art, germanic lands, The buxheim or the temptation of st.anthony

printin press emerged en of 14th cent

Printed books

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

explosion of learning in 15th cent encourages experiments in faster and cheaper ways of producing books

earliest books were block books, each text cut onto wood.

movable type writing achieved by Johann Gutenberg in Mainz germany

more than 40 copies of Gutenburg bible printed out

The Nurember chronicle: culmination of his complicated collaboration with scholars, artist and investors in early capalist enterprise.

text of history of the world was compile by physician _ scholar Hartman Schedel drawing work from collegues

Koburger sough financial support from Sebald Schregel and his brother in alw

and contracted wth other to produce the woodcut illistration and in 1491 to work on the layout

published in 1493 in editio on 2500

1809 illustration were dispered across book of pages or tucked into text

offered in latin or german on parchment or paper, bound or unbound, as is or with colour

only double paged picture, filling entire opening with little texte is a panoramic view of the city of Nuemberg

sight of significant artistic development