Renaissance in Germany
In the early 16th century German art moved to the
forefront of northern Europe culture. There were artists
of great originality, imagination and strong individual
character.
Albrecht Durer (1471-1528)
Lucas Cranach (1472-1553)
Matthias Grunewald (1480-1528)
Hans Holbein (1497-1543)
Albrecht Durer
(1471-1528)
Self-portrait
Oil on wood
20 x16”
Durer was the leading artist of
German society. Fascinated by
Classical ideas, he had
travelled to Italy to broaden his
knowledge. He was a strong
believer in close observation of
nature, and allied himself to
the scientific studies of
Leonardo da Vinci. Durer’s
artwork is highly detailed and
is distinguished by a use of
precise line.
Albrecht Durer
(1471-1528)
“Young Hare”
Watercolor
on Paper
10 x 9”
1502
Albrecht Durer
(1471-1528)
Self-portrait
Oil on wood
Albrecht Durer
(1471-1528)
“Four Horsemen of the
Apocalypse” 10 x 8”
Woodcut print on paper
Durer was one of the first artists
in the Western world to use
woodcut as a major art medium.
His style was precise, and highly
detailed, requiring great
technical skill.
In 1498 he finished a series of
15 woodcuts illustrating events
from the Apocalypse section of
the Bible. Most printmakers use
single lines; Durer massed fine
lines together to produce grayvalue areas which imply spatial
depth.
Albrecht Durer
(1471-1528)
Christ Descending
the Cross
Woodcut Print on
Paper
Melancholia I (1514) by
German Renaissance artist
Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528) is
a large print full of complex
symbolism. One of the four
bodily humors in medieval
thought, melancholy was
associated with insanity as
well as artistic prowess. In
Dürer's work on paper,
instruments of geometry, an
exacting branch of
mathematics in which the
artist excelled, surround a
downtrodden winged
personification of the humor,
perhaps a visual reference by
the master to his own inability
to realize perfection in
design.
Albrecht Durer
(1471-1528)
“The Four
Apostles”
Oil on wood
each 85 x 30”
1526
This was painted
towards the end of
Durer’s life. He
donated the two
panels to the city of
Nuremberg, to be
hung in city hall.
Albrecht Durer
(1471-1528)
Oil on wood
Albrecht Durer
(1471-1528)
Oil on wood
Albrecht Durer
(1471-1528)
Oil on wood
Albrecht Durer
(1471-1528)
Self-portrait
Oil on wood
Lucas Cranach
(1472-1553)
“The Judgement
of Paris”
Oil on wood
Cranach painted many nudes of
Adam, Eve, and various gods from
ancient mythology. However, he
painted them as German folk posed
in rugged outdoor settings rather
than as Classic figures of Greek and
Roman times.
The light is not consistent: the
landscape in this picture was
rendered with natural light, but the
human figures are illuminated by
artificial, theatrical lighting unrelated
to the fading sun in the distance.
Their strange anatomy is Mannerist,
not realistic.
Lucas Cranach
(1472-1553)
“The Judgement of
Paris”
Oil on wood
Lucas Cranach
(1472-1553)
“Adam and Eve”
Oil on wood
Lucas
Cranach
(1472-1553)
“Salome”
Oil on wood
Lucas Cranach
(1472-1553)
“Christ Crowned with Thorns”
Oil on panel, 1510
After the whipping ordered by the
Roman governor Pilate, soldiers mocked
Jesus because of his nickname 'King of
the Jews'. He was stripped naked and
then dressed in a purple gown. They put
a crown made out of thorn branches on
his head. According to the Gospel of
John, this is how Jesus was presented to
the people ("Behold the man!").
AA
Lucas Cranach shows the face of a
suffering man who has accepted his fate.
A few lines of blood show that the thorns
stuck deep into the skin.
Lucas Cranach (1472-1553) “Genesis- The Garden of God”
Oil on wood Although this painting is filled with fine detail, it is not
rendered in a realistic manner; objects are stylized and the light is not
naturalistic.
Matthias Grunewald (1480-1528)
This artist was highly original, expressive and unique. His
emotionally charged artwork was largely forgotten until
modern times. Grunewald worked on church commissions
and as court painter in Germany.
Matthias Grunewald (1480-1528) Isenheim Altarpiece
(closed)
Oil on wood 8’ x 10’ The altar is composed of a carved wooden shrine with
two pairs of movable panels, one directly behind the other. The panels show
various scenes in the life of Jesus...
Matthias Grunewald (1480-1528) Isenheim Altarpiece (closed)
Oil on wood 8’ x 10’ This crucifixion scene shows intense suffering and anguish.
Christ has been tortured and his body is straining in agony; his fingers are particularly
expressive.
Matthias Grunewald (1480-1528) Isenheim Altarpiece (open)
When the outer wings are opened the mood changes dramatically from disaster to
triumph. The three scenes—the Annunciation, the Angel Concert and the
Resurrection celebrate jubilant events in the story of Jesus Christ.
Matthias Grunewald
(1480-1528)
Isenheim Altarpiece
detail (open)
Oil on wood
1510-1515
Christ, in a blazing circle of
light so intense that it dissolves
his form, rises from the grave
like a great flame in the starlit
heavens. Notice the effective
use of dramatically contrasting
values of dark and light.
The light is not naturalistic, and
the forms suggest a flowing
motion.
Matthias Grunewald
(1480-1528)
Isenheim Altarpiece
detail (open)
Oil on wood
1510-1515
The artist’s colors are richly
iridescent, and the figures
seem to glow.
Matthias Grunewald
(1480-1528)
Isenheim Altarpiece
The Temptation of
St. Anthony
Oil on wood
1510-1515
Although the artist was
in sympathy with the
Christian reforms of
Martin Luther, who
frowned upon religious
images as “idolatrous,”
he depended on
Catholic patronage.
Matthia Grunewald
(1480-1528)
“Meeting of St.
Erasmus
and St. Maurice”
Oil on wood
1517-1523
Hans Holbein (1497-1543)
Self-portrait, oil on wood
Holbein was a great portrait
painter. He was born in
Germany, spent time in
Switzerland, and became
court painter to England’s
Henry VIII in the mid-1520s.
He painted many portraits of
royalty and important
citizens.
Hans Holbein
(1497-1543)
“Sir Thomas More”
Oil on wood
30 x 24” 1527
The portrait of this author
and statesman includes a
remarkable rendering of
fur, velvet and jewelry.
The modeling of the facial
features is very exact.
Hans Holbein
(1497-1543)
“Sir Thomas More”
Oil on wood
30 x 24” 1527
The modeling of the facial
features is very exact,
including such details as
beard stubble and flesh
wrinkles. Sir Thomas More,
a determined and
uncompromising individual,
eventually clashed with King
Henry VIII and was
beheaded.
Hans Holbein (14971543)
“Henry VIII” Oil on wood
This portrait uses a rigid
frontality, showing the king’s
powerful physical presence
and suggesting his ruthless
command. All the details are
rendered with great clarity
and precision.
Hans Holbein (1497-1543)
“The Ambassadors”
Oil on wood 6’8”x 6’10”
The array of objects in this picture
are a catalog of the two men’s
interests; eye glass, lute, celestial
globe, Lutheran hymnbook,
compasses, flutes, sundial and
books. This can be seen in detail
on the next slide...
The most astounding feature is the
shape that seems to grow out of the
lower left hand corner of the
foreground. When viewed from
below and the side, it appears to be
a human skull. Perhaps the painting
was intended to hang over a
doorway so when viewers looked
up they saw a skull — a frightening
reminder of human mortality.
Hans Holbein
(1497-1543)
“The Ambassadors”
Oil on wood 6’8”x
6’10” Detail:
The array of objects in this
picture are a catalog of the
two men’s interests; eye
glass, lute, celestial globe,
Lutheran hymnbook,
compasses, flutes, sundial
and books.
Hans Holbein
(1497-1543)
“Christina of Denmark”
Oil on wood
70 x 32”
In later works Holbein
embraced greater pictorial
simplicity. Here he kept the
focus on the portrait
subject, eliminating
distracting props.
Nevertheless, the figure is
rendered with great detail
and precision.
Hans Holbein
(1497-1543)
“Lady with a
Squirrel”
Oil on wood
Hans Holbein
(1497-1543)
Portrait of Erasmus
Oil on wood
Hans Holbein
(1497-1543)
Dance of Death
Woodcuts
Hans Holbein
(1497-1543)
Dance of Death
Woodcut
Hans Holbein
(1497-1543)
Dance of Death
Woodcut
Hans Holbein
(1497-1543)
Portrait of a man
Oil on wood
Hans Holbein
(1497-1543)
Drawing of a
woman
Hans Holbein
(1497-1543)
Drawing of the
Queen
Hans Holbein
(1497-1543)
Portrait of a
woman
Oil on wood