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Chapter 15Chapter 15Northern Northern Europe, Europe,

1400 to 15001400 to 1500

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Europe in the 15th Century

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Figure 215-2 CLAUS SLUTER, Well of Moses, Chartreuse de Champmol, Dijon, France, 1395–1406. Limestone with traces of paint, Moses 6’ high.

Two important developments that came out of 15th century Northern Europe:•Development of oil paints•Development of practical printmaking

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Figure 15-3 MELCHIOR BROEDERLAM, Retable de Champmol. from the chapel oft he Chartreuse de Champmol, Dijon, France, installed 1399. Oil on wood, each wing 5’ 5 3/4” X 4’ 1 1/4”. Musée des Beaux-Arts, Dijon.

Figure 15-4 ROBERT CAMPIN (MASTER OF FLEMALLE), Merode Altarpiece (open), ca. 1425-1428. Oil on wood, center panel 2’ 1 3/8” X 2’ 7/8”, each wing 2’ 1 3/8” X 10 7/8”. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (The Cloisters Collection, 1956).

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Campin is known as the Master of Flémalle

The everyday images heighten the realness of the scene and serve as religious symbols

Two kneeling figures are the donors of the artwork

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Figure 15-5 JAN VAN EYCK, Ghent Altarpiece (closed), Saint Bavo Cathedral, Ghent, Belgium, completed 1432. Oil on wood, 11’ 6" X 7’ 6".

Jan van Eyck is considered to be the first Netherlandish artist to achieve international fame

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Figure 15-5 JAN VAN EYCK, Ghent Altarpiece (closed), Saint Bavo Cathedral, Ghent, Belgium, completed 1432. Oil on wood, 11’ 6" X 7’ 6".

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Figure 15-6 JAN VAN EYCK, Ghent Altarpiece (open), Saint Bavo Cathedral, Ghent, Belgium, completed 1432. Oil on wood, 11’ 5" X 15’ 1”.

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Figure 15-1 JAN VAN EYCK, Giovanni Arnolfini and His Bride, 1434. Oil on wood, approx. 2’ 9" X 1’ 10 1/2". National Gallery, London.

Iconography:•“Writing of images”•Refers to the content of an artwork and to the study of content in art•Includes the study of the symbolic, often religious, meaning of objects, persons, or events depicted in works of art

Gender roles = Woman well into the room and by the bed and the man by the window (outside world)

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The bride is not meant to actually be pregnant…Instead, she is meant to appear pregnant because that is basically what her future holds as a new wife. Think of her pregnant appearance as a fertility symbol

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Lots of symbols here:Mirror = Eye of GodBedpost finial = Saint Margaret, patron saint of childbirthBroom = domestic care (for the wife)Medallions in mirror = Passion of Christ

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Single burning candle = God’s presence (also a common marriage practice)

The inscription translates to “van Eyck was here”; the artist was a witness to the marriage

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Oranges = fertility

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Dog = fidelity

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Figure 15-7 JAN VAN EYCK, Man in a Red Turban, 1433. Oil on wood, 1’ 1 1/8” X 10 1/4". National Gallery, London.

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Notice the amazing detail! Look at the red in the corners of the eyes, the wrinkles around the eyes and mouth, and the stubble of facial hair.

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Jan van Eyck, Madonna in the Church, c. 1425. Oil on wood, 32 x 14 cm, Staatliche Museen, Berlin.

The Madonna figure is unrealistically larger than the church to signify her immense holiness.

20Figure 15-8 ROGIER VAN DER WEYDEN, Deposition, center panel of a triptych from Notre-Dame hors-les-murs, Louvain, Belgium, ca. 1435. Oil on wood, 7’ 2 5/8" X 8’ 7 1/8". Museo del Prado, Madrid.

Unity is created by:•The figures are posed in a rolling fashion•The body of Mary and Christ are posed similarly

Figure 15-9 ROGIER VAN DER WEYDEN, Saint Luke Drawing the Virgin, ca. 1435-1440. Oil and tempera on wood, 4’ 6 1/8” X 3’ 7 5/8”. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. (Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Lee Higginson) 21

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Figure 15-10 ROGIER VAN DER WEYDEN, Portrait of a Lady, ca. 1460. Oil on panel, 1’ 1 3/8" X 10 1/16". National Gallery, Washington, D.C. (Andrew W. Mellon Collection).

Think about this painting in contrast to van Eyck’s Man in a Red Turban…

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Figure 15-13 HUGO VAN DER GOES, Portinari Altarpiece (open), from Sant’Egidio, Florence, Italy, ca. 1476. Tempera and oil on wood, 8’ 3 1/2" X 10’ center panel, 8’ 3 1/2" X 4’ 7 1/2" (each wing). Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence.

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Figure 15-14 HANS MEMLING, Virgin with Saints and Angels, center panel of the Saint John Altarpiece, Hospitaal Sint Jan, Bruges, Belgium, 1479. Oil on wood, 5’ 7 3/4" X 5’ 7 3/4" (center panel), 5’ 7 3/4" X 2’ 7 1/8" (each wing).

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Figure 15-11 PETRUS CHRISTUS, A Goldsmith in His Shop, 1449. Oil on wood, approx. 3’ 3" X 2’ 10". Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (the Robert Lehman Collection, 1975).

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Figure 15-15 LIMBOURG BROTHERS (POL, JEAN, HERMAN), January, from Les Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry, 1413–1416. Ink on vellum, approx. 8 7/8" X 5 3/8". Musée Condé, Chantilly.

Book of Hours = a book used for reciting prayers

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Figure 11-6 Man (symbol of Saint Matthew), folio 21 verso of the Book of Durrow, possibly from Iona, Scotland, ca. 660–680. Ink and tempera on parchment, 9 5/8” X 6 1/8”. Trinity College Library, Dublin.

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Figure 15-16 LIMBOURG BROTHERS (POL, JEAN, HERMAN), October, from Les Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry, 1413–1416. Ink on vellum, 8 7/8" X 5 3/8”. Musée Condé, Chantilly.

Main focus of the calendar pages is to visually capture the power of the duke and his relationship to the peasants

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Figure 15-21 MICHEL WOLGEMUT and shop, Tarvisium, page from the so-called Nuremberg Chronicle, 1493. Woodcut,1’ 2” X 9”. Printed by ANTON KOBERGER.

The following slides show examples of the practical printmaking that came about during this time…

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Relief Printmaking

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Figure 15-22 MARTIN SCHONGAUER, Saint Anthony Tormented by Demons, ca. 1480–1490. Engraving, 1’ 1/4" X 9". Fondazione Magnani Rocca, Corte di Mamiano.

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Intaglio Printmaking

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Notice the difference between the Relief and the Intaglio methods…