Sixteenth Century Northern Renaissance
Although Northern Europe had clung to its Gothic past much longer than Italy, by the early sixteenth century Northern artists began to be influenced by the Italian Renaissance through texts, prints, and direct exposure. Architecture, sculpture, and painting started to exhibit characteristics encompassing both local Gothic and classical elements. While campaigning in Italy, Francais I was introduced to the world of antiquity and saw the artistic transformation brought about by the Italian Renaissance. When he returned to France, he brought back paintings by Titian, Raphael, and Leonardo (It was in the court of Francais I that Leonardo spent the final two years of his life). In 1546, Francais commissioned Pierre Lescot to rebuild the Louvre (Click on history of the Louvre and read to the section "The Louvre Becomes the Artistic Capital of the World") which then served as a royal palace. This structure encompassed local elements such as the slanted roof, large windows, and ornate sculptural designs, as well as Renaissance elements that included the blind arcade, pilasters, and crowning pediments above the windows. It introduced the roots of the French Classical style that was to dominate French architecture for the next two centuries
Genre, the portrayal of common people involved in everyday activities, begins to establish itself as acceptable and popular subject matter in the Netherlands in the sixteenth century. Pieter Bruegel, the Elder, portrays the peasant at work and play in paintings that reflect an obscure sarcasm. Notice the scale of the figures compared to the picture plane in the landscape settings. Contrast these Northern landscapes to the Venetian landscapes by Giorgioni and Titian. The destruction of religious imagery was never supported directly by Luther, none the less, several of the Protestant divisions eschewed all religious imagery to the point of iconoclasm. In areas that remained Catholic, and in certain Protestant regions, religious commissions continued throughout the sixteenth century, although they were greatly diminished, . In 1510, Matthias Grunewald accepted a commission from two Italian abbots of the monastic hospital at Isenheim, Germany. The Isenheim Altarpiece, (Cursor down and click on the Crucifixion and the Resurrection) perhaps the most expressive, powerful crucifixion in the art world, was painted just prior to Germany's break with the papacy. Sixteenth century Germany provided a fertile breeding ground for the seeds of the Reformation. Political, cultural, and ecclesiastic conditions all contributed to the popular support of Martin Luther. (This links you to an extensive site on Martin Luther and the period of the Reformation. It will help to provide a context if you are un
Some common words found in the essay are:
Roman Emperor, Christian Soldier, Crucifixion Resurrection, Battle Issus, Henry VIII, North Durer, Capital World, Italian Renaissance, Bruegel Elder, Martin Luther, sixteenth century, martin luther, century northern artists, apocalypse series, italian renaissance, northern artists, century northern, graphic arts, religious imagery, sixteenth century northern, subject matter, henry viii,
Approximate Word count = 1008
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
|
