Gardner’s Art Through the Ages,
13e
Chapter 20
Northern Europe,
1400 to 1500
1
Northern Europe 1400-1500 Summary
2
THE MEMLING CODE
THE VAN EYCK CODE
CRACK THE NORTHERN
RENAISSANCE “CODE”
THE CAMPIN CODE
THE VAN DER GOES CODE
In your table groups carefully investigate your selected
piece and find ALL symbolic images within the piece so
that you “Crack the Code” and determine the complete
meaning of the painting.
http://home.att.net/~wegast/symbols/plants/plants.html#
orange
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In work done only ten years after the Très Riches Heures, the so-called
The central panel depicts the popular Annunciation theme in which the archangel
Mérode Altarpiece c.1425-28 (20-4), the triumph of bourgeois realism is apparent.
Gabriel approaches Mary, who sits reading
The Mérode Altarpiece was intended for private devotional worship. Robert Campin's
altarpiece is quite small with the central panel only a little over two feet square and is
In the left panel the altarpiece’s donor, Peter Inghelbrecht and his wife kneel and
movable. It is formed from three panels; the wings, or outer panels, are hinged and
watch in awe of this momentous event
can be closed to cover the inner panel. The Mérode Altarpiece shows the careful
detailing and brilliant jewel-like colors possible with the new technique of oil painting.
The artist depicted a well-kept middle-class Flemish home as the site of the event.
We can look at the Mérode Altarpiece as a representation of a typical fifteenth-century
Both the architectural scene in the background of the right wing and the included
Flemish house, with two people kneeling in the courtyard on the left wing panel, a
accessories such as furniture, utensils, etc, reinforce the settings identification.
carpenter working in his shop on the right wing panel, and a lady sitting reading in a
These objects also function as symbols
room interior in the center panel.
Figure 20-4 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).
SYMBOLISM
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Tommaso Portinari, who was the principal agent for the Medici bank in Flanders,
commissioned
St. Margaret
& Mary
4
from Hugo van der Goes the triptych, Portinari Altarpiece, done in the 1470s
(20-13).
It jar
Magdalene
(with
of symbolism.
ointment)
combined an interest in emotional expression with van Eyck's interest in
Tomasso Portinari’s
wife and daughter.
St. Anthony, St.
Thomas, Tomasso
Portinari & sons
Figure 20-13 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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SYMBOLISM
Figure 20-1 JAN VAN EYCK,
Giovanni Arnolfini and His Bride,
1434. Oil on wood, approx. 2’ 9" X
1’ 10 1/2". National Gallery,
London.
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Jan Van Eyck, Giovanni
Arnolfini and His Bride
1434
National Gallery, London
The Altarpiece of the Virgin and Saints with Angels (St. John Altarpiece) 1479 (2014) by Hugo's contemporary, Hans Memling, shows some interest in symbolism.
We see St. Catherine kneeling before the Virgin and Christ Child, with the wheel of
her torture on the carpet at her feet. On the right side of the Virgin appears St.
Barbara, reading before a small model of the tower, her place of confinement.
Standing on either side of the Virgin and Child are St. John the Evangelist with his
chalice, and St. John the Baptist with his lamb. The chalice of John refers to the
blood of Christ and the salvation/redemption theme. The lamb of the Baptist is an
iconic form for his sacrifice as the precursor of Christ. Most of Memling's
compositions show the same sweet faces, careful detailing, and balanced grouping.
He achieved this balance by placing the figures in carefully designed compositional
formats. For example, Sts. Catherine and Barbara show a rounded mass of fabric
and folds, which balance their placement in the foreground of the composition.
The two side wings also support the primary theme of the altarpiece; the left panel
depicts the head of the Baptist presented to Salome, while the right wing depicts St.
John on Patmos, symbolizing salvation and redemption achieved through sacrifice.
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Figure 20-14 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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How are peasants and nobles represented
in these two calendar illustrations?
Figure 20-15 LIMBOURG BROTHERS (POL,
JEAN, HERMAN), October, 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.
Figure 20-15
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.
1
Figure 20-16
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”.
20-16 LIMBOURG BROTHERS
Musée Condé,(POL,
HERMAN), January, from LesChantilly.
Très Riches
Figure
JEAN,
Heures du Duc de Berry, 1413–1416. Ink on vellum,
8 7/8" X 5 3/8”. Musée Condé, Chantilly.
10
Chartreuse de Champmol
Philip the Bold (Duke of Burgundy) commissioned
Broederlam to paint the exterior panels for the altarpiece
at the monastery.
Philip the Bold (Duke of Burgundy) also
placed Claus Sluter (Netherlands) in charge
of the sculptural program.
Sluter designs a large sculptural fountain
located in a well.
Sluter dies before fountain in completed and
it seems improbable that the fountain actually
spouted water.
11
2
Figure 20-2 CLAUS SLUTER, Well of
Moses, Chartreuse de Champmol, Dijon,
France, 1395–1406. Limestone with
traces of paint, Moses 6’ high.
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The most famous of the prophets,
Moses (prophet & lawgiver), seems
theatrically angry. The dramatic folds
in the voluminous drapery add to the
expression of the figure. The horns on
his head are typical in medieval art--a
mistranslation of the Bible for "rays"
of light.
DAVID & JEREMIAH
Daniel turns to the
aged prophet, while
Isaiah looks
discouraged and
seems to have an
attitude of rejecting
whatever Daniel is
saying.
INDUVIDUALIZED FIGURES
Prophets Jeremiah and
Zacharias
Daniel & Isaiah
3
Figure 20-3 MELCHIOR BROEDERLAM,
Retable de Champmol. from the chapel of the
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.
16
Fifteenth-Century Flemish
Dirk Bouts Last Supper (center panel of the
Altarpiece of the Holy Sacrament), St. Peter’s
Louvain, Belgium. 1464-1468
Old Testament prophet
Old Testament prophet
Micah
Zachariah
HAIL, FULL OF GRACE
Figure 20-5 JAN VAN EYCK, Ghent
Altarpiece (closed), Saint Bavo
Cathedral, Ghent, Belgium, completed
1432. Oil on wood, 11’ 6" X 7’ 6".
1
BEHOLD THE
HANDMAID OF
THE LORD
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IDENTIFY THE CHARACTERS IN YOUR SCENE & DESCRIBE IN DETAIL HOW THEY HAVE BEEN PORTRAYED
Figure 20-6 JAN VAN EYCK, Ghent Altarpiece (open), Saint Bavo Cathedral, Ghent, Belgium, completed 1432. Oil on wood, 11’ 5" X 15’ 1”. 19
Offering of Cain and Abel
Adam
Musical Angels
Figure 20-6 JAN VAN EYCK, Ghent Altarpiece (open), Saint Bavo Cathedral, Ghent, Belgium, completed 1432. Oil on wood, 11’ 5" X 15’ 1”. 20
Mary
Christ
John the Baptist
Figure 20-6 JAN VAN EYCK, Ghent Altarpiece (open), Saint Bavo Cathedral, Ghent, Belgium, completed 1432. Oil on wood, 11’ 5" X 15’ 1”. 21
Cain and Abel
Eve
Musical Angels
Figure 20-6 JAN VAN EYCK, Ghent Altarpiece (open), Saint Bavo Cathedral, Ghent, Belgium, completed 1432. Oil on wood, 11’ 5" X 15’ 1”. 22
The two panels to the
left show the "Just
Judges" and the
"Knights of Christ”
Figure 20-6 JAN VAN EYCK, Ghent Altarpiece (open), Saint Bavo Cathedral, Ghent, Belgium, completed 1432. Oil on wood, 11’ 5" X 15’ 1”. 23
“pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the
throne of God and of the Lamb”
Figure 20-6 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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On the right we see
hermits and
pilgrims, among
them the giant Saint
Christopher, patron
saint of travelers.
Figure 20-6 JAN VAN EYCK, Ghent Altarpiece (open), Saint Bavo Cathedral, Ghent, Belgium, completed 1432. Oil on wood, 11’ 5" X 15’ 1”. 25
How does this work reflect
15th century Flanders?
Figure 20-8 ROGIER VAN DER WEYDEN, Deposition, center panel of a triptych from Notre-Dame hors-lesmurs, Louvain, Belgium, ca. 1435. Oil on wood, 7’ 2 5/8" X 8’ 7 1/8". Museo del Prado, Madrid.
26
The Drama of Christ’s Death
Rogier Van Der Weyden,
Deposition from Notre-Dame hors-les-murs, 1435
Museo del Prado, Madrid
This piece was the center panel of a triptych
(three-paneled painting) the Archers’ Guild
of Louvain commissioned for the church of
Notre Dame in Louvain.
This altarpiece sums up Van Der Weyden’s
early style and content. Instead of creating a
deep landscape setting, he compressed the
figures and action onto a shallow stage to
concentrate the observer’s attention.
The painting resembles a stratified relief
carving. A series of lateral undulating
movements gives the group a unity, a formal
cohesion that Van Der Weyden’s
strengthened by psychological means
The depiction of the agony of loss is among the most
authentic in relgious art.
Petrus Christus, A Goldsmith in His Shop, 1449
A Golden Moment
This painting, just like Van Eyck’s portrait, involves a
couple and the holy sacrament of matrimony.
What is taking place in
this
scene?
A
goldsmith
sits in his stall, showing an elegantly attired
couple a selection of rings. The bride’s betrothal girdle
lies on the table, and the woman reaches for the ring
the goldsmith weighs.
The carefully depicted objects on the right side of the
painting refer to the goldsmith’s trade. The raw
materials - precious stones, beads, crystal, coral, and seed
pearls - are scattered among finished products, including
rings, buckles, and brooches. The convex mirror in the
foreground extends the painting’s space into that of the
viewer’s.
This painting incorporates secular and religious
elements. While focusing on an economic transaction
and the goldsmith’s profession, it calls attention to the
sacrament of marriage and includes items such as a
crystal container of Eucharistic wafers. The scales
could easily symbolize the Last Judgment.
How
this
portrait
Capturingdoes
Class and
Character
reveal the innovative style
of Rogier van der Weyden?
The commission details for Rogier van der Weyden’s portraits of an
unknown young lady remain unclear. Her dress and bearing imply noble rank.
The artist provided viewers with a portrait that not only presented a faithful
likeness
of her somewhat
features van
but alsoder
revealed
her individual
The
unique
valueplain
Rogier
Weyden
character.
brought to portraiture was the ability to not
Her lowered
eyes, detail
tightly locked
thinalso
fingers,to
andshow
fragile physique
only
convey
but
the bespeak an
introverted and devout personality. Rogier’s honestly and directness, typical in
personality
and
character
thethesitter.
this
the Flemish artist’s
approach,
reveal much,of
despite
woman’sIn
reserved
demeanor. of an unknown lady, a woman of rank,
portrait
her
and bearing
indicate
herderived
nobility.
Thisdress
style contrasted
with the formal
Italian approach
from theWe
profiles
common towho
coins and
which
was sterner
and conveyed
see
a woman
is medallions,
reserved
and
pious
little of the sitter’s personality. Rogier was perhaps chief among the Flemish
conveyed
byreadings
her tightly
locked
and
in his penetrating
of his subjects,
and as afingers
great pictorial
composer,
he made beautiful
use here
of flat, sharply
angular shapes
that so
downcast
eyes.
Rogier
van pointed
der Weyden
was
powerfully suggest the rigidity of this subject’s personality. He placed little
able
to convey
the impression
composure
by
emphasis
on minute description
of surface detail.of
Instead,
he defined large,
simple planesthe
and volumes,
an almost
effect.
defining
simpleachieving
planes
and“abstract”
volumes.
Figure 20-10 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).
4
In contrast to the van der Weyden
portrait is the Man in a Red
Turban 1433 (20-7) by Jan van
Eyck. Here the subject confronts
the viewer with assurance. This
is a man who is confident and
secure in his society. It is thought
that perhaps this is a self-portrait
of Jan van Eyck; nevertheless, the
artist has recorded this
individual’s personality as selfassured.
Figure 20-7 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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Jan van Eyck, Man in a Red Turban
1433, Oil on wood
National Gallery, London
The painting is signed and inscribed in an elaborate way on the
frame, which is the original. The top inscription, which uses some
Greek letters, is a punning allusion to the painter's name: 'Als Ich
Can' (as I/Eyck can). The bottom inscription, in Latin, gives the
name of the painter and the date: 'Jan van Eyck made me on 21
October 1433'. The letters are painted to look as though they have
been carved.
LATE GOTHIC STYLE
Riemenschneider’s The Assumption of the Virgin
c.1495-99 (20-19), the artist depicts the emotion of
religious joy. Here the Apostles are gathered to
witness her assumption into heaven, witnessing the
triumph of her position and faith. The Virgin
forms the apex of the group of the Apostles, some
of whom are looking out and drawing the viewer
into the miracle so the viewer also becomes a
witness to the event. By witnessing the event
through this sculpture inside a parish church, the
viewer also receives confirmation of both salvation
and redemption.
Figure 20-19 TILMAN RIEMENSCHNEIDER, The
Assumption of the Virgin, center panel of the Creglingen Altarpiece,
Herrgottskirche, Creglingen, Germany, ca. 1495–1499.
Lindenwood, 6’ 1” wide.
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