THE EUROPEAN RENAISSANCE

Apart from the Italian states, the main areas where new tendencies developed were Flanders, Germany and France.

FLEMISH PAINTING

Painting in Flanders developed at the same time as in the Italian states (15-16th century). The bourgeoisie from this region were among the most prosperous in Europe. There was a great demand for works of art to decorate their homes with, so there was a great development in painting.

The Flemish school´s greatest contribution was the oil painting technique, which became popular when Jan Van Eyck began to use it. It consits of mixing colours with oil so the paint dries slowly. This allows corrections to be made and for great attention to detail.

Portrait of Giovanni Arnolfini and His Wife (Jan Van Eyck)

The main themes were religion and portraits with landscapes, realistic scenes from everyday life and popular customs.

Peter Brueghel the Elder produced works containig landscapes, realistic scenes from everyday life and popular customs.

Hunters in the snow (Peter Brueghel the Elder)

Hieronymus Bosch, known as El Bosco in Spain, developed an original style full of allegories, imaginary worlds and strange beings.

The Garden of Earthly Delights (Bosch)

Other notable painters were Jan Van Eyck, who produced very realistic portraits, Joachim Patinir, who specilised in landscapes and Roger van der Weyden, who developed the painting of religious themes.

GERMAN PAINTING

In Germany the most notable painters were Matthias Grunewald, who specialised in religious themes and Albrecht Durer, who had a powerful influence on other artists of the time and was a master of the woodcutting technique. In this technique, the drawing is done on wood and the outlines of the drawing are carved out to create a relief. It is then coated with black paint and printed on a sheet, which meant that numerous copies could be made.

Adán and  Eva (Albert Durer)

FRENCH ARCHITECTURE

Architecture was very important in France. Large castles were built and used as luxury residences. They were decorated with Renaissance features (columns, arches, and so on) and they blended in perfectly with the natural environment.