LATE GOTHIC ART

15TH CENTURY ART IN NORTHERN EUROPE AND SPAIN

Factors that contributed to the development of cities in the fifteenth century:

The migration of a significant portion of the rural population to urban centers.

The thriving commerce, industry, and finance of Europe’s economic development, spurred by the first international commercial stock exchange.

A book used for reciting prayers. They replaced traditional psalters, which had been the only liturgical books in private hands until the mid-13th century.

The centerpiece was the Office of the Blessed Virgin, which contained liturgical passages to be read privately at set times during the day.

An illustrated calendar containing local religious feast days usually proceeded the Office.

Penitential psalms, devotional prayers, litanies to the saints, and other prayers followed the centerpiece.

BOOK OF HOURS

Limbourg BrothersMay from Les Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry1413-1416ink, tempera and gold leaf on vellum8 1/2 x 5 1/2 in.

Tres Riches Heures du Duc de Berry shown in by The three Limbourg Brothers, Pol (possibly Paul), Hennequin (possibly Jean or Jan), and Herman.

Limbourg BrothersFebruary from Les Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry1413-1416ink, tempera and gold leaf on vellum8 1/2 x 5 1/2 in.

Stylistic characteristics that link the illuminations done by the Limbourg brothers with fourteenth-century Sienese painting:Growing artistic interest in naturalism.

Close observation of the natural world and

Convincing shadows cast by the people and objects.

Depiction of a perceptual reality, as shown by the architectural detail.

Limbourg BrothersOctober from Les Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry1413-1416ink, tempera and gold leaf on vellum8 1/2 x 5 1/2 in.

The illustration for October depicts the Louvre as it appeared in the time of Charles V in a highly realistic manner. 

In the foreground a man scatters seeds for a spring crop as another on horseback drags a medieval tiller across the field. 

Notably, this illumination contains the first representations of ground shadows since Classical antiquity

Limbourg BrothersJanuary from Les Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry1413-1416ink, tempera and gold leaf on vellum8 1/2 x 5 1/2 in.

In the Middle Ages, it was much more common to exchange gifts on Twelfth Night -- January 6th -- than on Christmas Day itself. The great feast here may have been meant to depict a Twelfth Night celebration. The Duc de Berry himself is depicted on the right, in blue, seated at the lavishly-laden table.

Philip the Bold and Duc du Berry (Duke of Berry) were considered two northern dukes who are generally considered to have been the greatest patrons of the arts in northern Europe in the late fourteenth and early fifteenth centuries:

Claus SluterWell of MosesChartreuse de Champmol, Dijon, France1395-1406stonefigures approximately 6 ft. high

Symbolic Meaning

A symbolic fountain of life, with the Blood of Christ flowing down over the Old Testament prophets, washing away their sins into the well below. It represents the promise of everlasting life.

Mechior BroederlamRetable de ChampmolFrom Chapel of the Chartreuse de Champmol, Dijon, FranceInstalled 1399tempera on panelpanels each 5 ft. 3 3/4 in. x 4 ft. 1 1/4 in.

Two medieval conventions retained:Flat gold background.

Staid treatment of figures and the traditional halos.

New feature seen in the work:The multi-image format allowed artists to construct narratives through a sequence of images, somewhat like manuscript illumination.

PolyptychHinged multipanel paintings.

RetableAn architectural screen or wall above and behind an altar, usually containing painting, sculpture, carving, or other decorations.

TriptychA three-paneled painting or altarpiece.

Jan van EyckGhent Altarpiece (closed)Saint Bavo Cathedral, Ghent, Belgium1432oil on wood11 ft. 5 3/4 in. high

ThemeHumanity’s

Redemption.

Jan van Eyck

Ghent Altarpiece (closed) (detail of St. John the Evangelist)

Saint Bavo Cathedral, Ghent, Belgium

1432oil on wood11 ft. 5 3/4 in. high

Jan van EyckGhent Altarpiece (open)Saint Bavo Cathedral, Ghent, Belgium1432oil on wood11 ft. 5 3/4 in. high

Top:

Adam – a choir of angels - Mary (Queen of Heaven) - God the Father – St. John the Baptist – an angel playing the organ - Eve

Bottom:

Judges - knights - community of saints from the four corners of the earth proceeding toward the altar of the Lamb (the sacrificed Son of God) and the octagonal fountain of life – hermits – pilgrims

SymbolismHermits:

Temperance

Judges:

Justice

Pilgrims:

Prudence

Knights:

Fortitude

Painting technique was perfected by fifteenth-century Flemish paintersOil.

Description of technique:Layers are laid down in transparent glazes over opaque or semiopaque underlayers. Painters could build up deep tones through repeated glazing.

Compared to tempera techniqueOils dry more uniformly and slowly, providing the artist more time to rework areas and permitting the mixing of pigments.

Rogier van der WeydenDepositionfrom Notre- Hors-les-murs, Louvain, Belgiumca. 1435oil on woodapproximately 7 ft. 3 in. x 8 ft. 7 in.

In contrast to the complex symbolism of Jan van Eyck, Rogier van der Weyden stressed in his paintings human action and drama.

List Three characteristics of his style:The figures and action are compressed onto a shallow stage to concentrate the observer’s attention.Crisp drawing and precise modeling of forms.compositional unity is created through a series of lateral undulating movements, strengthened by psychological means, namely the anguish shared by many figures.

The Guild of St. LukeAs in Italy, boys were apprenticed to a master at an early age. The master taught the fundamentals of the craft: how to make implements, how to prepare panels, and how to mix colors, oils, and varnishes. Once he mastered these techniques, a painter worked as a journeyman in various cities, learning from other masters. He was then eligible to become a master and applied for admission to the guild. He obtained commissions through the guild. The guild also inspected his paintings to ensure that he used quality materials and to evaluate workmanship.

Rogier van der Weyden

Judgment Altarpiece (open)

Hôtel-Dieu, Beaune, France

ca. 1444-1448panel7 ft. 4 5/8 in. x 17 ft. 11 in.

Dirk Bouts

Last Supper

From Saint Peter’s, Louvain, Belgium

1464-1468oil on woodapproximately 6 ft. 5 in. high

Two fifteenth-century Flemish painters who demonstrated the greatest interest in the depiction of space and cubic form were Dirk Bouts and Hugo van der Goes

Scholars believe that Dirk Bouts was the first northern artist to utilize a single vanishing point for construction of an architectural interior.

Hugo van der GoesPortinari Altarpiece (open)From Sant’Egidio, Florence, Italyca. 1476tempera and oil on wood8 ft. 3 1/2 in. x 10 ft. (center) 8 ft. 3 1/2 in. x 4 ft. 7 1/2 in. (wings)

Hugo van der GoesCentral Panel Portinari AltarpieceFrom Sant’Egidio, Florence, Italyca. 1476tempera and oil on wood

Symbolism:

Iris and columbine:The Sorrows of the Virgin.

Sheaf of wheat:Bethlehem (“house of bread” in Hebrew).

Harp of David:The ancestry of Christ.

Hugo van der Goes

Portinari Altarpiece (open)

From Sant’Egidio, Florence, Italy

ca. 1476tempera and oil on wood8 ft. 3 1/2 in. x 10 ft. (center) 8 ft. 3 1/2 in. x 4 ft. 7 1/2 in. (wings)

Hans MemlingSaint John AltarpieceHospital Sint Jan, Bruges, Belgium1479oil on wood5 ft. 7 3/4 in. x 5 ft. 7 3/4 in (center) 5 ft. 7 3/4 in. x 2 ft. 7 1/8 in (wings)

subject matter Hans Memling specialized in were images of the Madonna.

StyleThe Madonna is a young, slight, pretty princess holding a doll-like Christ. The pictorial style is opulent with rich, luminous colors, carefully depicted tapestries, and serene figures. The composition is balanced and serene. The execution is of the highest technical quality.

Robert CampinMerode Altarpiece (open)ca. 1425-1428oil on wood2 ft. 1 in. 2 ft. 1 in. (center)

The blending of sacred and secular effected the way devotional images were painted in that Biblical scenes were often presented as happening in a Flemish house.

The book, candle, water jug and towels symbolize Mary’s purity and divine mission. in the Mérode Altarpiece.

Two factors that contributed to the great demand for images for private devotion:

Dissatisfaction with the clergy.

Popular reform movements advocated personal devotion.

Robert Campin also known as the Master of Flémalle

Three characteristics of his style:Every object functions as a religious symbol.Attention to detail: carefully rendered architecture and the carpenter’s shop is inventoried completely.The Mérode Altarpiece is personalized to the patron with references to the patron’s name and his wife’s name, and the setting is definitively Flemish.

Jan van Eyck

Giovanni Arnolfini and His Bride

1434oil on wood2 ft. 8 in. x 1 ft. 11 1/2 in.

• Symbolism• Cast aside clogs indicating…• The event is taking place on

holy ground• Dog….• Fidelity (fido, “to trust)

• Open curtains of the marriage bed

• Bed Post finial….• Statue of St. Margaret,

patron saint of childbirth.• Whisk broom….• Domestic care

• Oranges….• Fertility

The probable purpose of the painting Giovanni Arnolfini and His Bride is to record and sanctify the marriage; other think Arnolfini is conferring legal privileges to his wife to conduct business in his absence.

Jan van EyckGiovanni Arnolfini and His Bride1434oil on wood2 ft. 8 in. x 1 ft. 11 1/2 in.

• Single Burning Candle• All-seeing eye of God

• Small medallions…• Scenes from the passion of

Christ• Gods ever-present

• Conventional Gender Roles• Woman stand near the Bed• Man near the window

Petrus Christus

A Goldsmith in His Shop (St. Eligius)

1449oil on wood3 ft. 3 in. x 2 ft. 10 in.

Saint Eligius was a master goldsmith before committing his life to God. The painting is set in a goldsmith’s shop.

It may have been commissioned by The guild of goldsmiths for their guild chapel.

Jan van Eyck

Man in a Red Turban

1433oil on wood10 1/4 in. x 7 1/2 in.

The significance about the pose of the Man in a Red Turban is that this is the first Western painted portrait where the subject looks directly at the viewer.

Jan van Eyck

Annunciation

c. 1435oil on canvas93 x 37 cm

Jan van Eyck

Annunciation

c. 1435oil on canvas93 x 37 cm

Rogier van der Weyden

Portrait of a Lady

ca. 1460oil on panel13 3/8 in. x 10 1/16 in.

Flemish characteristics of Rogier’s Portrait of a Lady that distinguish it from the work of Italian artists such as Ghirlandaio:

Her demeanor seems pious and reserved rather than stern or simply uncharacterized.

Three-quarters view instead of a formal profile.

Little emphasis on surface detail; instead, he defined large, simple planes and volumes, achieving an effect of dignity and grace.

Hieronymus Bosch

The Temptations of Saint Anthony

1510oil on wood70 x 51 cm

Hieronymus Bosch

The Temptations of Saint Anthony

1510oil on wood70 x 51 cm

Hieronymus Bosch

The Creation of the World

1505-1510oil on wood76 3/4 x 43 1/4 in.

Hieronymus Bosch

Creation of Eve, Garden of Earthly Delights, Hell

1505-1510oil on wood7 ft. 2 5/8 in. x 6 ft. 4 3/4 in. (center)

Hieronymus Bosch

Garden of Earthly Delights

1505-1510oil on wood7 ft. 2 5/8 in. x 6 ft. 4 3/4 in. (center)

Nude people cavorting in a landscape dotted with bizarre creatures and objects that suggest procreation. Might be a Last Judgment scene.

Hieronymus Bosch

Garden of Earthly Delights (center panel)

1505-1510oil on wood220 x 389 cm

Hieronymus Bosch

Garden of Earthly Delights (center panel)

1505-1510oil on wood220 x 389 cm

Hieronymus Bosch

The Creation of Eve (left panel)

1505-1510oil on wood220 x 389 cm

God presenting Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.

Hieronymus Bosch

The Creation of Eve (left panel)

1505-1510oil on wood220 x 389 cm

Hieronymus Bosch

The Creation of Eve (left panel)

1505-1510oil on wood220 x 389 cm

Hieronymus Bosch

Hell (right panel)

1505-1510oil on wood220 x 389 cm

The horrors of Hell.

Hieronymus Bosch

Hell (right panel)

1505-1510oil on wood220 x 389 cm

Jean FouquetMelun DiptychÉtienne Chevalier and Saint Stephenca. 1450oil on wood3 ft. 1/2 in. x 2 ft. 9 1/2 in.

Two features of Fouquet’s panel that are similar to Flemish donor portraits:

The donor appears in the left panel with his patron saint. The donor is kneeling with hands clasped in prayer, and the saint appears with the instrument of his martyrdom.

The three-quarter stances of the figures and the clear, sharp focus.

Jean Fouquet

Melun DiptychÉtienne Chevalier and Saint Stephen

ca. 1450oil on wood3 ft. 1/2 in. x 2 ft. 9 1/2 in.

attr. Enguerrand Quarton

The Avignon Pieta

ca. 1455oil on wood5 ft. 4 in x 7 ft. 2 in.

Hunt of the Unicorn

ca. 1498-1500wool, silk, and metal thread12 ft. 1 in. x 12 ft. 5 in.

Unicorn in Captivity

ca. 1498-1500wool, silk, and metal thread

Konrad Witz

Miraculous Draught of Fish

from Cathedral of St. Peter, Geneva, Switzerland

1444oil on wood4 ft. 3 in. x 5 ft. 1 in.

Stephan Lochner

Madonna in the Rose Garden

ca. 1430-1435tempera on wood1 ft. 8 in. x 1 ft. 4 in.

Stephan Lochner

Madonna in the Rose Garden

ca. 1430-1435tempera on wood1 ft. 8 in. x 1 ft. 4 in.

Veit Stoss

Death and Assumption of the Virgin

from Church of St. Mary, Kraków, Poland

1477-1489painted and gilded wood43 ft. x 35 ft. overall

Tilman Riemenschneider

The Assumption of the Virgin

center panel of the Creglingen AltarpieceCreglingen, Germany

1495-1499carved lindenwood6 ft. 1 in. wide

Johannes Gutenberg

Gutenberg Bible

printed in Mainz, Germany

ca. 1454-55printed ink on paper43-62 cm

Johannes Gutenberg

Gutenberg Bible

printed in Mainz, Germany

ca. 1454-55printed ink on paper43-62 cm

Michel Wolgemut and Shop

Nuremburg Chronicle

1493printed ink on paper

Martin Schongauer

Temptation of Saint Anthony

ca. 1480-1490engraving13 x 11 in.

Gil de Siloé

Christ Crucified

Carthusian Monastery

1496-1499painted and gilded wooden altarpiece

Plateresque Portal

Colegio de San Gregorio

Valladolid, Spain

ca. 1498