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An introduction to the Northern Renaissance in the fifteenth century

By Dr. Bonnie Noble
Albrecht Dürer, Self-Portrait, 1500, 67.1 x 48.9 cm (Alte Pinakothek, Munich; photo: Steven Zucker, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
Albrecht Dürer, Self-Portrait, 1500, 67.1 x 48.9 cm (Alte Pinakothek, Munich; photo: Steven Zucker, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

What was the Renaissance and where did it happen?

The word Renaissance is generally defined as the rebirth of classical antiquity in Italy in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Seems simple enough, but the word “Renaissance” is actually fraught with complexity.
Scholars argue about exactly when the Renaissance happened, where it took place, how long it lasted, or if it even happened at all. Scholars also disagree about whether the Renaissance is a “rebirth” of classical antiquity (ancient Greece and Rome) or simply a continuation of classical traditions but with different emphases.
Traditional accounts of the Renaissance favor a narrative that places the birth of the Renaissance in Florence, Italy. In this narrative, Italian art and ideas migrate North from Italy (largely because of the travels of the great German artist Albrecht Dϋrer who studied, admired, and was inspired by Italy, and he carried his Italian experiences back to Germany).

The Renaissance in Northern Europe

However, so much changed in northern Europe in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries that the era deserves to be evaluated on its own terms. So we use the term "Northern Renaissance" to refer to the Renaissance that occurred in Europe north of the Alps.
Some of the most important changes in northern Europe include the:
  • invention of the printing press, c. 1450
  • advent of mechanically reproducible media such as woodcuts and engravings
  • formation of a merchant class of art patrons that purchased works in oil on panel
  • Protestant Reformation and the translation of the Bible from the original languages into the vernacular or common languages such as German and French
  • international trade in urban centers
Jan (and Hubert?) van Eyck, Ghent Altarpiece (also known as The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb), interior, 1432, tempera and oil on panel, 11-5/8 x 15-1/8 inches (open) (Cathedral of Saint Bavo, Ghent, Belgium; photo: Zen3500)
Jan (and Hubert?) van Eyck, Ghent Altarpiece (also known as The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb), interior, 1432, tempera and oil on panel, 11-5/8 x 15-1/8 inches (open) (Cathedral of Saint Bavo, Ghent, Belgium; photo: Zen3500)

The fifteenth century: van Eyck

In the fifteenth century, northern artists such as Jan van Eyck introduced powerful and influential changes, such as the perfection of oil paint and almost impossible representation of minute detail, practices that clearly distinguish Northern art from Italian art as well as art from the preceding centuries. Jan and Hubert van Eyck’s Ghent Altarpiece, 1432 (Church of Saint Bavo, Ghent) exemplifies the grand scale and minute detail of Northern painting.
Jan (and Hubert?) van Eyck, Ghent Altarpiece (also known as The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb), exterior, 1432, tempera and oil on panel, 147-5/8  x 102 -3/8 inches (closed, after restoration) (Cathedral of Saint Bavo, Ghent, Belgium; photo: Madatoille)
Jan (and Hubert?) van Eyck, Ghent Altarpiece (also known as The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb), exterior, 1432, tempera and oil on panel, 147-5/8  x 102 -3/8 inches (closed, after restoration) (Cathedral of Saint Bavo, Ghent, Belgium; photo: Madatoille)
This public, religious picture has an open and closed position. On the interior, we see such holy figures as the Virgin, Christ, saints, and angels. It also showcases the largesse of the donors, depicted kneeling on the lowest corners of the exterior, who employed the van Eyck brothers to immortalize them in this very public work of art.
Jan van Eyck, The Arnolfini Portrait, 1434, tempera and oil on oak panel, 82.2 x 60 cm (The National Gallery, London; photo: Steven Zucker, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
Jan van Eyck, The Arnolfini Portrait, 1434, tempera and oil on oak panel, 82.2 x 60 cm (The National Gallery, London; photo: Steven Zucker, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
Jan van Eyck’s Arnolfini Portrait shows a well-to-do couple in a tasteful, bourgeois interior. The text in the back of the image identifies the date and Jan van Eyck as the artist. Art historians disagree about what is actually happening in the image, whether this is a betrothal or a marriage, or perhaps something else entirely. One of the most important aspects of this painting is the symbolic meanings of the objects, for instance that the dog may symbolize fidelity (“Fido”) or that the fruit on the windowsill may signify either wealth or temptation. This painting is a touchstone for the study of iconography, a method of interpreting works of art by deciphering symbolic meaning.
Though Jan van Eyck did not invent oil paint, he used the medium to greater effect than any other artist to date. Oil would become a predominant medium for painting for centuries, favored in art academies into the nineteenth century and beyond. The Arnolfinis counted as middle class because their wealth came from trade rather than inherited titles and land. The power of the merchant-class patrons of northern Europe cultivated a taste for art made for domestic display. Decorating one’s home is still a powerful motivation for art patrons. Museum visitors repeatedly comment, “well, I wouldn’t want it in my living room.”

Additional resources
Read two chapters about Northern Renaissance art in Reframing Art History, our free textbook: Late medieval multimedia and devotion and Printing and painting in Northern Renaissance art.

Essay by Dr. Bonnie Noble

Want to join the conversation?

  • piceratops sapling style avatar for user Paige Frey
    Are there any differences in the Northern Renaissance and the Italian Renaissance. For example, which one was more focused on humanism? Where does religion tie into this one?
    (7 votes)
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    • duskpin ultimate style avatar for user Миленa
      "Humanism" is a tricky word with many different meanings -- it is more of an umbrella term than a specific, self-conscious movement. Personally, I like to define it as "the study of the history and literature of classical antiquity," which is likely the closest to the original intent. After all, the word comes from the Italian umanista, meaning a teacher who lectured on the Humanities. Humanists were scholars who promoted the study of the literature and history of classical Greece and Rome. This set them apart from the Scholastics, who were more intent on dialectic, disputation, Aristotelian logic, etc.

      So, was the North or South more interested in humanism? Because Italy was culturally closer to ancient Rome (many notable humanists were almost embarrassingly nostalgic for the ancient ruins of Italy) this is where the study of the classics was strongest. Italian humanism was generally more secular and more focused on reviving Roman culture.

      On the other hand, the North was more focused on Reformation and the reinterpretation of Christianity. For example, Erasmus, the so-called "Prince of Humanists", learned ancient Greek and Latin so that he could better translate the new and old Testaments. He was an important figure in the Reformation. There was less interest in pagan antiquity when compared to the Italian Renaissance.
      (19 votes)
  • blobby green style avatar for user jessica_longo
    In the 15th and 16th centuries if the word Renaissance is defined as rebirth, why would scholars disagree about whether these time frames were a rebirth or continuation? In my opinion, with all these changes in Northern Europe I believe it is a time of rebirth. For example, what about the printing press or trade in urban centers?
    (3 votes)
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    • duskpin ultimate style avatar for user Миленa
      Well, Europe had been undergoing innovation and development for hundreds of years by that point, so the printing press was just another invention - continuous with what had happened previously. Also, the word "rebirth" assumes the new technology had existed before, which it did not - the Romans were nowhere near as advanced as Northern Europe by that point!

      This is how I see it, and I hope it helps. If you have any further questions, please do ask :)
      (7 votes)
  • orange juice squid orange style avatar for user Daniel Oropeza
    "Scholars argue about exactly when the Renaissance happened, where it took place, how long it lasted, or if it even happened at all."
    What is meant by "even if it happened at all"? Aren't the changes in the arts (sculpture, painting, etc.) pretty obvious, plus the rise of humanism, plus the renewed interest in the natural world that eventually lead to the scientific method? How can one deny the existence of the Renaissance?
    (4 votes)
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    • blobby green style avatar for user choosefreefaith
      I don't think denying the Renaissance period or it's changes is even an option. In my opinion, God like challenges, so he created these scholars to bring about these type of agreements and disagreement's to challenge the mind and broaden their and the viewer imaginations. All the evidence are in the art and the art books.
      (0 votes)
  • aqualine ultimate style avatar for user Cunyuan Zhang
    Why isn't there a video ?
    (0 votes)
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  • aqualine ultimate style avatar for user Kuauhemok Ruelas
    Who are all the images in the mirror?
    (3 votes)
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  • piceratops tree style avatar for user Tabitha Clark
    If van Eyck didn't invent oil paints, then who did?
    (3 votes)
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    • duskpin ultimate style avatar for user Миленa
      Usually Jan van Eyck or Roger van der Weyden are credited for inventing oil painting, and probably came up with the idea independently -- but this medium was used long before those two painters. For example, Japanese artists used perilla oil mixed with lead from the 8th century onward. In 12th century Germany, a monk named Theophilus discusses using oils in painting and warns against olive oil. I'm sure previous civilizations also used oils in painting, but that records from that time do not survive.

      But for more modern uses of oils in painting, I think the 15th century painters from the Low Countries are the true pioneers [although what is "modern" is all relative].
      (2 votes)
  • blobby green style avatar for user irfan amin
    Are islam was borned at italy when 1450
    (1 vote)
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  • blobby green style avatar for user anwesha.saha
    "The power of the merchant-class patrons of northern Europe cultivated a taste for art made for domestic display. Decorating one’s home is still a powerful motivation for art patrons."
    --Was there a major difference in art made for domestic displays and private displays?
    (1 vote)
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  • piceratops ultimate style avatar for user Trey Thompson
    In which museum (if any) is the Jan van Eyck’s Arnolfini Double Portrait displayed?
    (1 vote)
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  • aqualine ultimate style avatar for user hamera
    Did the Renaissance occur anywhere besides Italy and Northern Europe? Like Spain or England?
    (1 vote)
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