Northern Renaissance

 1500-1630

The  Northern Renaissance was a time of  great intellectual and spiritual awakening.  French, German, and Netherlandish painters took leadership in the development of a new style of painting while  retaining strong Gothic elements within their art-work. The political and religious situation of the region had a profound influence on painters. The ensuing chaos and upheaval of the church meant that there was no single artistic nucleus. Thus there were a number of places where influential art was being created, with regional variations in technique and style.

The early 1500s  saw the demise of feudalism and patronage shifted from the super wealthy church to the merchant class.  Businessmen, tradesmen and prosperous women of the merchant class began collecting and commissioning works of art. These new patrons favored paintings that included their dogs, cats, birds, children and household goods.

 A major difference between Italian Renaissance and Northern Renaissance is that Northern painters added a bit of wry humor to their work. In terms of religious painting they scorned at decadent Greek and Roman influences, focusing more on the fundamental teachings of the Bible and teachings of Christ. They rejected the Italian practice of eroticizing the Virgin Mary or portraying the Apostles as leering scalawags.  Humanism was  emerging, and religious devotion, though still an important part of people's lives, was being restructured to accommodate the belief that man can be master his own  fate.