Week 2, Post #2

Intro  to  Northern  Renaissance  Art

Considered the great "century of change" the northern Renaissance consists of a new way of painting, which started an "image revolution." (quotes taken from the northern renaissance documentary) This Image revolution was important because it reflected new ideas and concepts of how to look at art and how to create art that had never been seen before. By creating an image using only oil paints and still creating an image that seems so real the audience can relate to the people in the images and feel as if they are looking through a window into another world. This idea of ultra realism was so different from the idea of worth and value of jewels, gold and silver in art that it became its own genera of worth and in some ways are worth more than those that used gold, silver and jewels in their creations. 

For example, Jan Van Eyck the creator of the Giovanni Arnolfini and his Wife, (pictured above) is a very important image and it still astonishes viewers to this day. Other images such as some of his alter pieces that show insanely realistic images of gold, silver, and jewels of many kinds are so realistic and breathtaking that they appear to be actual gold, silver, and jewels. He did this by only using oil paint instead of pasting actual gems to his work. The artists who used this method didn't affect its audience as profoundly as Jan Van Eyck did. because their piece wasn't a fluid surface, you could tell that the light and shadows that affected the gems on the art didn't match what was depicted underneath. 

Also during this time period works of art used in churches and of biblical figures were very important to the culture at the time. This is because Catholics and Christians at the time believed that one could become close to the figures in religion by visualizing themselves worshiping them or by putting themselves into the happenings of the characters painted. so thus the more realistic the image was the easier it was for people to do this. This is also why there are so many depictions of Joseph and Mary in 14th century houses and clothing. They believed the story stayed the same but just the environments changed.  

 

To the average viewer now, this may not make any sense. But back then it was just an everyday thing. The art styles as well we can see as a little strange, how they used to paint men so real to life; in some instances it appeared as if there was blood pulsing underneath the painted flesh. While women were usually depicted appearing more like dolls and were more impressionistic to what the general accepted look of a woman should be. Their presence in an otherwise all together realistic image confuses me. You think, well if they can make all these other things look this realistic, including the male figures, why not then make the women fit better into this created environment?

However this just seems to be the norm with northern renaissance pictures and thus will probably stay a mystery. But on the other hand its so beautiful in its depiction It doesn't seem to be as big of a question as other things would be. It would more likely be a better use of time to figure out all the iconography in all the different paintings of the time, and try to figure them out that way.