Art History 120 Essay 2

Which artists were responsible for adopting and disseminating humanist ideas? Be able to analyze their artwork in order to demonstrate how they adopted and or incorporated humanism into their work.

Hans Holbein, Albrecht Durer, Jan Gosseart,

Humanistic Ideals are?

Humanistic ideals: concern with natural world, the individual, humanities worldly existence. Revived interest in classical cultures. Greeks had gods that looked like humans. It is a code of civil conduct, the way one is supposed to behave in society. Valued a comprehensive education: literature, science, art, music and philosophy. The humanistic ideals are distinct from but not opposed to religious values.

Matthias Grunewald

(1470-1528). Was a German engineer, painter and architect. His work exepliefies the expressive intensity of late medieval Central European art. He was a contemporary of Albrecht Durer. His work did not display the influence of Renaissance classism used by Durer. Most famous work : The Isenheim Altarpiece

Cranach the Elder

(1472-1553). German Renaissance painter and printmaker in woodcut and engraving. Was the called "the painter for the Protestant Reformation."He was court painter to the Electors of Saxony for most of his career, and is known for his portraits, both of German princes and those of the leaders of the Protestant Reformation, whose cause he embraced with enthusiasm, becoming a close friend of Martin Luther. He also painted religious subjects, first in the Catholic tradition, and later trying to find new ways of conveying Lutheran religious concerns in art. He continued throughout his career to paint nude subjects drawn from mythology and religion.

Jan Gossaert

(1478-1532). ). Netherlandish painter- credited with bringing the ideas of Italy to the Netherlands. He is credited for being the first to bring form Italy to Flanders the method of making scenes full of nude figures. Interested in Italian humanism, he studied Albrect Durer. Known by his contemporaries as "the Apelles of our age."

Martin Luther

(1483-1546). A German monk and theologian, who became one of the most famous critics of the Roman Catholic Chruch. In 1517, he wrote 95 theses, or statements of belief attacking the church practices. Theses protested church corruption, namely the sale of indulgences; He didn't plan on starting a new religion, he only wanted to reform the Church; his actions led to many new sects of Christianity, religious wars across Europe, a decrease in the power of the Roman Catholic Church and an increase in the power of monarchs. He led the Protestant Reformation.

Hans Holbein

(1497-1543). One of the great German portraitist who became a court painter in England. Friend of Erasmus, He painted Thomas More, the chancellor of England's Erasmus' portrait. He became King's painter: painted Henry VIII, Edward VI.painted "the Ambassadors" (The painting with the distorted skull) Known for his photographic-like realism. Great German school of the Renaissance ends with his death.

Albrecht Durer

1471-1528. German artist credited with bringing the ideas of Italian art to home country. Known as "Leonardo of the North" Engraving, metal working, woodcutting, draftsman, botanist, painter studied anatomy. These interests are attributed to his humanist spirit. He is a supporter of Martin Luther. He met many of the humanists of his time, Erasmus and Moore. Influenced by Venetian artists, he was versed in classical teachings and humanism. He was also the first to create printed illustrations in books. First person to fight for copyright of his work. He sold prints in single sheets that made them affordable to people of ordinary means. He was first artists to see the Aztec jewelry brought back from Mexico to Europe.

Albrecht Durer: "Knight, Death and the Devil"

1513, Knight is in full armor. He is not frightened because he has the armor of God. Faith. No overt religious iconography. Inspired by equestrian statue in Rome. Dog means fidelity, faith. He was interested in plant life and animals and used them in his artwork.

Albrecht Durer: "Fall of Man"

Engraving: 1504, reflects his interest in humanism by using classical form, naturalistic rendering of human form, in contrapposto stance, and interest in human proportions. Background rendered naturalistically, Symbolic animals, cat, rabbit, elk, ok represent the 4 body humors, that are personality types developed by Ancient Greek physician Hippocrates that were in balance before Adam and Eve ate the apple. Cat and mouse represent good and evil.

Protestant Reformation

Led by German monk Martin Luther, who was unhappy with the abuses and other forms of corruption perpetrated by the Papacy and the Church in Rome such as the sale of indulgences and the sacraments of the church except for baptism and communion, The Protestant Reformation was a revolt that led to a split in Christianity between Roman Catholics and Protestants.

Jan Gossaert: "Neptune and Amphitrite"

Painting: "Neptune and Amphitrite" inspired by Durer's Fall of Man. Large painting. He used a laurel wreath and conch shell instead of Durer's fig leaf on Neptune. Both are in Contraposto stance. Inspired by classical deities. Architecture inspired by sketched he made of ancient buildings in Rome. Commissioned by Phillip, Admiral of Burgundy and was kept in private room in his castle.

Matthias Gluenwald "The Isenheim Altarpiece",

Painting: 1515, Created for a monastic hospital. Polyptych that depicted Catholic beliefs and symbols. There is a lamb with blood drooping into a chalice, which is the symbol of the son of God. On the Crucifixion panel, Christ is shown afflicted by the disease of ergotism. Has Horrible boils on skin. His body is emaciated, and hands are grotesquely twisted. Saint John is pointing to him to give focus. The features of the characters look more northern European. His legs look like they have been amputated which is a common outcome of ergotism. Dark background shows exaggerated suffering. Gilded wood carvings of saints is tradition of Germany. He used brilliant color to enhance the effects. The message is that Christ suffered this way and if he can go through it so can you. There is hope of salvation and comfort.

Albrecht Durer: "Four Apostles"

Painting: 1526, Gift by him to city. It shows his support for Lutheranism by his positioning of the apostles, Saint John is in foreground, St Peter who is the representative of the pope is in background holding the key to the church. The figures are depicted with brilliant color and light and shading giving them individual personalities. They are looking at the bible and the message is the word of God is what matters. He used quotes of the apostles' at bottom of the painting warning about false profits.

Cranach the Elder: "Judgment of Paris"

Painting: 1530 Classical mythological theme of a Greek tale. Mercury chose a Shepard named Paris to judge a beauty contest between 3 the goddesses Juno, Minerva and Venus. All three attempt to bribe Paris. Venus wins by offering him Helen of Troy and starts a war between Greeks and Trojans. Cranich portrays the Shepard as a knight in full armor; Mercury is also in armor and is an aged man. The goddesses are nude with jewelry and Juno wears a hat. They are based on representations of the Three Graces, but ancient artists did not paint them in the nude. The goddesses have slender bodies and small heads. The horse is the only excited participant in the scene. Cranich uses this as humor. Subtle modeling and atmospheric perspective are used.

Hans Holbein: "The French Ambassadors":

Painting: 1533: reflects interest in humanism because the humanist ambassadors are surrounded with objects that reflect their interest in worldliness, education, and art and religion. For example: Affluent clothing, Oriental rug, music- lute with broken string that means discord (religious strife), flutes, compasses, globes,astronomical models, a sundial. His handling of paint is remarkable. His use of subtle modeling, sense of weight and space are keeping with Italian depictions of figures. Textures have reflective quality. The surface is enamel like. Cannot see brush strokes.Non-overt Religious imagery: book with 10 commandments and book with Lutheran Hymns and a almost hidden image of Christ on cross and a distorted skull. These are to encourage the viewer to ponder death.

Cranach the Elder: "Law and Gospel"

Woodcut print: ca. 1530, He contrasts the difference between how Catholic and Protestant's achieve salvation. He separated the two images by a tree with leafy branches on the Protestant side, On the Catholic side judgment day has come, Christ is hovering with his left hand raised in damnation. He has lily and sword in his head. Moses has his 10 commandments, which Catholics are to follow to achieve salvation. Under a punitive God, The man is driven off by a skeleton to burn in Hell. By contrast, on the Protestant side of print, the man is showered with grace depicted as streams of blood of Jesus. Christ is seen rising from the tomb granting salvation to those that believe.

Albrecht Durer: "The Last Supper"

Woodcut: Influenced by Da Vinci, people are in groups. Emotion is conveyed and was the focus. Protestansts don't believe that bread and wine are body of Christ so the bread is on the floor, chalice is on left. The items are neutral not symbolic.

Protestant Reformation influenced art by:

• The main characteristics of Reformation art sprang from Protestant theology that believed in redemption by faith alone with the guidance of scripture. • The form and content of Protestant art - in particular, painting - reflected the plainer, more unvarnished and more personal Christianity of the Reformation movement. • This is represented by images in art by people showing that they have the grace of God. The Dutch showed this by showing they were prosperous. The images often have a mocking quality of Catholicism. • Protestant art focused on humble depictions of biblical scenes and moralistic depictions of contemporary everyday life. Protestant art tended to avoid: grandiose images of Jesus or the Virgin Mary; big set-piece scenes from the Bible (like the Passion of Christ); images of the Saints; and, in particular, depictions of the Popes and other senior clergy. • Luther participated in and encouraged iconoclasm, the destruction of religious imagery. •The protestant churches were relatively bare because they believed that the ostentatious church decoration distracted the faithful from connection with God.