10. Northern Renaissance

Early Northern Renaissance_Commonalities for the region across the time

Centered in Holland (now the Netherlands) and Flanders (now Belgium), the 15th century is known as the Early Renaissance in Northern Europe with traces of “Later Gothic”. During this period, artists developed a painting style that used symbols and super-fine details to present their ideas. Many artists from the neighboring countries of Northern Europe to Holland and Flanders came to learn Flemish art and accept commissions from patrons. Robert Campin, the Limbourg Brothers, and Jan Van Eyck were the most notable artists of this period. As a master of Flemish artist, Robert Campin (1378~1444) was the leader of using oil paint for small altarpieces. His most famous painting is the Merode Altarpiece (open), ca. 1425-1428. Which sets a great example of using oil paints to render highly realistic scenes on wood.

Formal break down of ROBERT CAMPIN, Merode Altarpiece (open):

ROBERT CAMPIN, 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).

Composition: The Merode Altarpiece (open) has three panels. The left-panel shows the donors kneeing in the doorway and the artist (Campin) in background. The right panel shows Joseph working in his wood shop making a mouse trap. There is a cityscape outside the window in the background. The center panel shows the annunciation scene with the angel Gabriel and Mary sitting across the table from each other. It is a kind of linear perspective. All three panels have multiple vanishing points. The environment of the center piece has a higher vanishing point than the figures.

Symbolism: There are a lot of hidden symbols. For example, the window has the holy spirit which may refer to the message from God; the silver vessel with clear water and a white towel could indicate the Virgin Mary’s purity; the recently snuffed candle may mean a message delivered.

Form and shape: It is a highly detailed painting. The folds for the draperies are intense. Tables and chairs show a tilted perspective. Lighting is used to define the form and space. There is the shifted scales for different kind of figures. Mary is too big for the room. On the other hand, Joseph in the right panel seems to be at normal scale.

Color: There is a wide range of realistic colors used in the painting. A lot of details shift in tones and shadings to display realism. Mary is in a red dress. The color is saturated and the highlight is glowing with less saturated color.

Materials: Oil paints on wood panels were used for the altarpiece.

Lines: Simple lines are not identical in the oil painting. Instead, the lines are defined by tones and shadings. In this painting, ROBERT CAMPIN used soft lines on the ceiling and bench to emphasize the one point perspective.

Below are two other paintings by Robert Campin:

robert-campin-1375-1444-portrait-of-a-woman-1430

Portrait of a Woman
Artist: Robert Campin
Completion Date: c.1430

Artist: Robert Campin, Crucifixion, c.1425, oil on panel, Gallery: Gemaldegalerie, Berlin, Germany

…………….

High Northern Renaissance_Commonalities for the region across the time

By the end of the 15th century, the Flemish painting style is gradually replaced by the art style from the Duchy of Burgundy. Many Northern artists such as ALBRECHT DÜRER (1471-1528) traveled to Italy to learn art from artists there. This movement directly resulted in Italian humanism spreading widely throughout Northern Europe. Matthias Grunewald, Albrecht Durer, Hans Baldung Grien, Lucas Cranach the Elder, Hans Holbein the Younger, Quinten Massys, and Pieter Bruegel the Elder are the notable artists in this period. Both oil painting and printmaking are popular art forms that consist great amount of details and realism during the High Northern Renaissance.

Formal break down of ALBRECHT DÜRER, Self-Portrait, 1500. Oil on wood

Without ALBRECHT DÜRER (1471-1528), the High Northern Renaissance would not be the same. He was a great genius and the most internationally famous artist of the period. Durer painted many detailed self-portraits throughout his life with different moods. He is also the first artist to be serious with watercolor. Among all his talents, Dürer was most well-known for his wood cut and engraving. ALBRECHT DÜRER signed all his work to honor his own work and to protect his work from plagiarism.

ALBRECHT DÜRER, Self-Portrait, 1500. Oil on wood, 2’ 2 1/4” X 1’ 7 1/4”. Alte Pinakothek, Munich.

Composition: ALBRECHT DÜRER’s Self-Portrait, 1500 has a symmetrical composition. With the frontal pose and ideal facial proportion, Durer posed himself like Jesus Christ. This self-portrait demonstrates his connection to religion. Yet his right hand holds the fur collar of his coat which refers his humanist inner world. DÜRER signed his name symmetrically in the background at his eye level.

Form and Shape: This is a realist painting. It shows a lot of details on his skin, hair and fur collar of his coat. The dark background outlines the head, hair and shoulders and clearly forms a triangular shape.

Color: In this portrait, ALBRECHT DÜRER is in a rich brown coat with a dark background. He used realistic color for his skin and hair. Lines: No sharp lines were used in this painting. Soft curved lines are rendered with shifting tones and shadings which help to define his hair and the folds of his coat.

Textures: Because of the intense details, textures show different shininess of his hair, skin, and the fabric of his coat.

Material: Oil paint and wood.

Formal Breakdown for ALBRECHT DÜRER, The Fall of Man (Adam
and Eve), 1504. Engraving

ALBRECHT DÜRER is a master of printmaking. He worked in his father’s goldsmith shop when he was young. This experience gave him training that later helped him become a master of printmaking and engraving.

ALBRECHT DÜRER, The Fall of Man (Adam
and Eve), 1504. Engraving, 9 7/8” x 7 5/8”.
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (centennial gift
of Landon T. Clay).

Composition: The Fall of Man (Adam and Eve), 1504. Engraving, 9 7/8” x 7 5/8”. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (centennial gift of Landon T. Clay) gives Adam and Eve a close to symmetrical composition. There are animals and trees in the background.

Form and Shape: Both Adam and Eve are in classic poses. The anatomy of body proportion is perfect.

Textures: Intense details create intense textures. Since the metal engraving can hold halftone, Adam and Eve’s skin texture is smoothly rendered by very fine lines. The animal and the background trees have less fine textures.

Lines: Crosshatched lines are used to create the volume and details. Lines are used for outlining the figures and animals. Front trees have mostly horizontal lines. Compared to the figures and trees, the lines for hair and fur are very curvy.

Materials: Metal, paper, and ink.

Because this printmaking technique, Durer is able to publish many books of his art.

Northern Renaissance Environment and character:

Fascinated by the massive amount draperies, the strange linear perspective and details of everyday life Northern Renaissance interior environment in Robert Campin, Merode Altarpiece (open), I decided to recreate the center panel of this masterpiece from 2-D painting to 3-D sculpture using current technologies such as digital sculpting and 3D printing.

Digital Sculpt of the environment and Vergin Mary from Robert Campin, Merode Altarpiece (open). Zbrush 4R6 and Maya 2014 are used for creating this work

ROBERT CAMPIN, Merode Altarpiece (open), ca. 1425-1428. Oil on wood, center panel 2’ 1 3/8” X 2’ 7/8”. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

I researched some information and references from early Northern Renaissance art particularly paintings by Robert Campin to figure out the details that are difficult to see from ROBERT CAMPIN, Merode Altarpiece (open). I decided to do it.

Robert Campin (maybe), The two surviving wings of the The Werl Altarpiece, 1438, oil on oak panel, Right wing showing Saint Barbara. Left wing with donor portrait of Heinrich von Werl and Saint John the Baptist. Museo del Prado

Robert Campin, Madonna and Child Before a Fireplace, ca 1430, oil on panel, 24.5 x 34.3 cm, Gallery: Hermitage, St. Petersburg, Russia

The goal is to represent the original scene in 3D as accurate as passable. I modeled and sculpting Mary in Zbrush. Then I modeled the environment in Maya. At this point, I have to save angel Gabriel for the time being.

To make 2D to 3D creatively, I decided to make the back and left side windows open so viewers can see what is happening behind and around Mary. For the display purpose, I also shortened the depth so the final sculpture can be set on a flat surface or hung on a wall.