Patronage and Art in Northern Europe during the Renaissance

Patronage in northern Europe is different from the one in Italy. In the early renaissance, main patron in Italy is the Medici family. This big merchant family benefits a lot from the fast development of Italian economy. They spent a large number of funds on art region, promoting the renaissance to expand. However, in the Northern Europe, English and France still fought each other in the Hundred-Year war. Two competing Popes still resided in Rome and Avigon. These conflicts influenced the economic system of Northern Europe so patrons were unable to provide funds as much as the Medici did.

Dukes of Burgundy were major patrons of that age. Patrons provided financial supports for artists to create while their requirements also influenced and limited the styles and contents. The art works had prominent features for private use. For instance, Some Dukes preferred furnishings and tapestries so the forms of art were influenced. Small altarpieces became popular as well. Because of the interests of the patrons, the styles and contents of art work were limited. Oil painting became popular because it could facilitate the exactitude in rendering details.

With oil medium, artists created richer color than previously had been ossible, giving their paintings an intense tonality, the illusion of glowing light and enamel-like surfaces. Robert Campin was one of the earliest masters of oil painting. His most famous work is Merode altarpiece, a private commission for household prayer. Oil painting allowed the artist to paint every detail subtly. Jan van Eyck was also an artist who paid much attention on details. He used color to depict the soft texture of hair, the luster of pearls and the flashing of gems.

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In Italy renaissance, artists focused more on the scientific methods combining color using while artists in Northern Europe tended to depict the appearance. Donor portraits, which meant portraits of the individuals who donated the works, were another form of art pieces in that era. In Jan van Eyck's Ghent Altarpiece, two of the exterior panels depict the donors, Jodocus Wd and his wife. Jan van Eyck was the first Netherlandish painter to achieve international fame. He was the count painter of Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy.

In Italy Renaissance, artists preferred the classical culture and revealed the Greeks and Romes. The sculpture David by Donatello was a good example of their interest. However, in Northern Europe, artists worked more on the religion and bible. For example, Jan van Eyck's Ghent Altarpiece was about the bible. Dirk Bouts was a later Flemish painter. In his "Last supper", he did not focus on the biblical narrative itself, but presented Christ in the role of a priest instead.

This painting employed single vanishing-point perspective and included four servants in Flemish attire. Hugo van der Goes's "Portinari Altarpiece" was a rare instance of the awarding of a major commission in Florence to a Flemish painter. Hugo van der Goes was good at the depicting of details and the human character as well. Influenced by the Gothic style, Northern European paintings were more realistic while Italian paintings were more naturalistic. Matthais Grunewald was German Renaissance painter.

His works focused on religion, but they also had specific meanings for viewers. In his work "Isenheim Altarpiece", Grunewald presented his altarpiece's iconography to be particularly meaningful for viewers at Isenheim hospital. The painting depicted Bosch was the most famous Netherlandish painter. Bosch was the most imaginative and enigmatic painter of his era. Scholars cannot find a universal interpretation of his work "Garden of Earthly Delights". This was similar to Leonardo's "Mona Lisa". They were both mysterious.

But the content should be more similar to Raphael, who did more on humanism. Albrecth Durer was a dominant artist in Holy Roman Empire. His style was more similar to Leonardo. Like Leonardo, Durer also did much research on perspectives and the ideal in human proportions. In short, Northern Europe Renaissance occurred after the Italy Renaissance, but it developed its own styles rather than imitate Italian style simply. Due to the regional differences, various styles and cultures made the Renaissance era rich and colorful.

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