14th 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)

• http://www.nga.gov/content/ngaweb/global-site-search-page.html?searchterm=masters%20of%20illusion&searchpath=%2Fcontent%2Fngaweb%2Fglobal-site-search-page&category=Audio%2FVideo&pageNumber=1&lastFacet=category

• 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 incarnation

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