15th Century Europe: The Renaissance

The fifteenth century brought forth brilliant artists in Northern Europe who created astounding pieces of work that is still praised to this day. This was the Renaissance period. These Northern European artists were inspired by Aristotle’s ideas presented on practicality, which led them to mainly focus on naturalism. Artists wanted to translate a sense of reality in their paintings directly from the world we live in. For years before this time, artists had focused on the stylization of characters and their subject matter, but in the fifteenth century it was quite the opposite. Artists recreated exactly what they saw and kept images true to their real-life forms.

                Other highly valued ideas during the Renaissance were Catholicism, portraiture, humanism, and the invention of the printing press. Catholicism played an important role in northern Europe during this time and it is shown through most of the works created. For example, the great altarpieces of Ghent and Portinairi were painted by Jan van Eyck and Hugo van der Goes, two of the greatest artists of this time. Although graven images and idolatry were frowned upon by Catholics, Eyck was accepted by the courts for his personal skill and fame. Also, people believed in sacred space in that objects of sacred representation would enter the soul when they saw them.

                Portraits were all the rage in fifteenth century Europe and were thought to reveal deep spiritual desires. Jan van Eyck was regarded as one of the greatest artists of all time and was the artists of several portraits. In fact, it was special to be painted by Eyck himself. (More about Eyck later) Eyck especially, expressed exact details of whom he was painting. Every wrinkle, every follicle of hair, every reflection was painted with the most extreme focus on detail, which is the main reason why the Renaissance is so artistically valued.

                Artistic status was also a crucial element during the Renaissance. Most artists relied on the help from joining a guild. The guild system allowed artists to find work and gain more recognition. The only downside was that those fine artists were put in the same group as craftsmen an were therefore referred to as such. Because of this, a sort of tension developed between artists wanting to be recognized and not be associated as craftsmen. For example, if an artist achieved a high status in a guild, that artist was still in a lower status outside of the guild because he was a craftsman. To become a “master,” or great artist in the guild, one must create his/her masterpiece, in which it meets the standard of quality. Few artists, however, were able to build a reputation on their own without the help of a guild. One artist in particular, was Jan van Eyck. He was the court painter for Phillip the Good, a Duke of Burgundy. Eyck supposedly went on secret missions as ambassador for the Duke and painted portraits of prospective spouses for him. Eyck was so skillful that his clients were not based on the court’s decision and was free to work for whomever he wished. Jan van Eyck was aware of his greatness and often celebrated his achievements in several paintings. For instance, his own self portrait is a representation of his self-awareness and the red turban around his head is a symbol seen in other works he has done. Also, Eyck includes signatures in his paintings, also dates, personal mottos and even reflections of himself.      

                During the Renaissance, art became somewhat of a luxury object. Works were shared internationally and artists were appointed to the courts of royalty. Because of this, some art seemed to have the same expensive look and elegant style. This repetition of style consisted of using thin layers of oil paint, the placement of hidden symbols, perspective and careful attention to detail. Most importantly, though, was the lack of stylization and idealistic qualities with more focus on naturalistic qualities. For example, the Northern artist Claus Sleuter sculpted a work that is today called the Well of Moses. In this piece, Moses appears to be very life-like and real. Sleuter carved his face with deep wrinkles and thick skin. In contrast to this, southern artist Michelangelo’s version of Moses is much more idealistic and has great muscles implied underneath his clothing which seems much less natural.

                I find the Renaissance extremely interesting and I am very impressed with Jan van Eyck’s work. Examining his paintings make me realize how much time it must have taken him to paint these wonderful pieces and why they are so prized!