th
14
Century
(quick timeline reference leading up to the Art of Flanders – 15th Century)
Byzantine Style (330-1453):
– Constantine recognized Christianity as the official religion
– At the Fall of Rome – arrangements were made to divide the
Western half (ruled from Rome) and the Eastern half (ruled from
Byzantium – later named Constantinople after Constantine)
– Western half fell to barbarian Dark Ages
– Eastern art flourished with Christian art – creating a new set of
Christian images and icons (derived though from Greek and
Egyptian Art techniques)
– Orthodox Christianity flourished during this time
– Byzantine Style PANEL PAINTINGS:
• Panel painting originally began as a small-scale devotional icon
carried and owned by the many.
• Progressed to multi-paneled, hung above an altar called an
ALTARPIECE.
Byzantine Style PANEL PAINTINGS
– Encaustic Style – using hot beeswax combined with
pigments to apply to surface.
– Tempera – another form of painting using egg yolk
blended with water, pigments, & occasionally other
materials such as glue.
• 14th century material of choice, velvety sheen – but results in
premature cracking & flaking
– Fresco –pigments mixed with water then applied directly
onto freshly laid lime-plaster surface.
– Others in a variety of media, such as marble, ivory,
mosaic, gemstone, precious metal, and enamel.
OTHER HISTORICAL FACTS LEADING TO
THE ART OF FLANDERS
Late Middle Ages:
• The Black Death (plague) killed about a
1/3 of Europeans between 1347 and
1350.
• Scholasticism - philosophy that
promoted joining faith to reason.
– Universities founded
(today’s Belgium and Northern
France)
15th Century
Flemish Artists
• Leading Northern center for painting
• 15th cent.
• Bruges - largest seaport town, commercial
power of North
• Guilds - painters in Guild of Saint Luke
– Potions class with Professor Snape (secret
society)
– Civic groups, town councils, and wealthy
merchants commissioned work.
First Generation Panel Painters
• Painted wood panel (oak)
inspired by Flemish
illuminated manuscripts.
• Window vantage point
(began in Florence – but we are
discussing Flanders – Northern
Renaissance)
•
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• 15th century painters =
exquisite detail = intro of
Oil Painting
NEW TECHNIQUES OF PAINTING IN
THE 15TH CENTURY
• Accurate details
• Symbolism
• Oil painting
– Glazing: Transparent layers built up with oil & varnish
• Light bounces through layers to white surface and
back to viewer
– Slow drying allowing rework of areas & blending
pigments on the surface
• Allowed long brush strokes
– Created deep intense tonality of color
– Shadows & Highlights giving more 3-dimensional reality
Robert Campin
•
•
•
•
Mérode Altarpiece, 1425-28, oil on wood panel
Also known as the Annunciation Triptych
Triptych (3 panels) with window vantage point.
Exploits middleclass objects with religious undertones.
Left Panel:
• Rosebuds =
Virgin/Passion
• Couple are the donors.
Are depicted next to the
Annunciation but gaze
seems distant.
• Flemish artist trick to
allow donors to appear
next to religious scenes.
• Lilies = purity,
virginity, a traditional
element of
Annunciation
• White towel + hanging
(Jewish Religion)
• Water pot = Mary’s
purity
• Christ’s child bearing
the cross
• She is the Virgin in
prayer just before:
receiving news from
Angel Gabriel
• Candle’s flame burnt
out: symbol of
Right Panel:
•Joseph as a carpenter
•Mousetrap = catching
Satan (Christ’s bait)
Jan van Eyck
• Annunciation
• Official in the court
of Duke of
Burgundy
• Painted with oil
glazes transparent layers
built up with oil
and varnish
• Take two minutes to compare and
contrast Jan van Eyck’s Annunciation
to the center panel of Robert Campin’s
Mérode Altarpiece.
• What is similar what is different?
•
•
•
•
Doves = Holy Spirit
White lilies = Mary (purity, virginity)
Zodiac signs = Annunciation, March 25
Stained-glass windows = Holy Trinity