Northern Renaissance Documentary - Post #2

            The documentary “Northern Renaissance: The Supreme Art” made it quite obvious that during the time of the Northern Renaissance luxury items were highly valued. Much of these luxury items were in fact paintings. Kings and those of nobility generally commissioned paintings so they were not only highly regarded but something wanted and respected by all. All during this time valued the idea of naturalism immensely because this was the first time they were seeing art being produced that didn’t look man made. The paintings or illusions created were so convincing that it looked as if the figures in the paintings were capable of movement, giving the figures a very life like quality. The people of this time also valued religion, inventions, and learning. We can see in many paintings produced during this time that they contain religious aspects. Due to the fact that there are so many paintings related to religion in this time period we can conclude that they were in high demand because so many people valued their religion. Many altarpieces were also being created, and some being on a very large scale. The Ghent altarpiece is over eleven feet tall and about fifteen feet long. This altarpiece is considered to be one of the most coveted pieces of art due to its naturalistic qualities and very individualized figures. The printing press was also created during this time period allowing for large- scale production for the first time ever.

 During the Northern Renaissance we see several different types of art being produced. At first there was a large amount of sculptures and tapestries being created. However, once the highly regarded painter Jan van Eyck was commissioned by Phillip the Good many people were able to see the beautiful paintings that so closely resembled the real world. The nobility was so impressed with his ability to create such true to life paintings that they paid him a substantial amount and told him he could work for anyone outside of the court as well. This was found in historic documents dated back to this time period basically explaining he was the best of the best and there was no painter who could compare. Jan van Eyck’s growing popularity brought all different kinds of paintings into a different kind of light for the people of the Northern Renaissance. Jan van Eyck was known for painting altarpieces and portraits. The portraits created during this time, especially those by Jan van Eyck, were so true to life it was as if the person was seeing their reflection in a mirror. The people of the Northern Renaissance were very excited to have their portraits done by Jan van Eyck not only because his extreme talent and ability to create such a realistic portrait, but because Jan van Eyck was known to paint portraits of nobility. The modest family was now able to have a masterpiece portrait in their own home at a substantially lower cost than that of gold and jewels, which were once the luxury items people strived to obtain.

When looking at art produced during the Northern Renaissance there are several stylistic characteristics that seem to show up in just about every piece. We see extreme, very small details added to the work that at first glance may go unnoticed, but ultimately adds to the intense naturalism and beauty of the painting. There is a great interest in naturalism and individualization that make all these paintings appear to be exactly how we see the object, landscape, or person in real life. We also see in much of the paintings created during this time the use of very thin layers of oil paint. Due to these several stylistic characteristics the pieces of art from the Northern Renaissance are not only easily recognizable but some of the most coveted and highly regarded pieces of art in the world.