How were the subjects of paintings of the northern Renaissance diff. with those of the Italian Renaissance?

Question

Anyone know? I think it has to do with religion or style...

Thanks :)

Answer 1

I'm pasting an answer in parts from a good site that explains the Renaissance in brief:

Thinking began to change in the 1300s, moving out of the Mediaeval period into the Renaissance. "It began in Italy and swept northward to England, Germany, the Netherlands, France and Spain. By the 1400s the Renaissance was in full swing throughout much of the European culture and as it reached its peak in the late 1400s and early 1500s it was called the "High Renaissance". By the 1600s, nearly all of Europe was affected. This time from 1400 to 1600 was called the Renaissance.

This new movement revived interest in the arts and literature of ancient Greece and Rome. European painting flourished more during this time than at any other period in the course of history."

Areas in Italy, like Florence and Venice, were controlled by wealthy families who decorated their great apartments with art works of the Renaissance artists. "They encouraged a study and revival of ancient Greek and Roman works of art so their society would resemble the cultures of classical antiquity."

The Humanists' thinking was that they could better understand humanity and its problems if they studied literature and philosophy of the ancient Romans and Greeks.

"During the Medieval Times, artists and sculptors tried to give their subjects a spiritual quality with the intent of delivering a deep religious meaning, and were not concerned with making their subjects appear natural and lifelike. But, during Renaissance, the artist's prime concern was to make their subjects appear natural and realistic.

Italian Masters, Raphael, Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci dominated the arts during the late 1400s and early 1500s. For example:

Michelangelo's genius was in portraying the human figure. His fresco paintings (1508-1512) of Biblical and classical figures on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican prove his genius beyond a doubt.

Raphael's paintings are poetic and softer, using delicate color and impeccable perspective to portray his subjects and achieve his goals.

As visitors came and went from Italy, they carried the ideals and concepts of the Italian Renaissance back to their homelands in Germany, France, the Netherlands, England and Spain.

In Italy, the remnants of classical antiquity existed everywhere to inspire Italian artists. However, in other countries Roman culture had been forced upon people by the conquering Romans and with the fall of Rome that culture quickly disappeared. So, with the scarcity of classical art, they took their lead from Gothic art of the Middle Ages (Medieval Times).

The first achievement in Renaissance art outside of Italy occurred in the works of the Dutch artists in Flanders. Flemish painters loved precise details in their art and prided themselves on painting human figures that looked realistic rather than having the sculptural quality of the Italian painters.

Artists here began to put more emphasis on realism in their art works The first great achievements in this concept appeared in the paintings of artists from Flanders. Although the idea was the same, Italians and Flemish artists used entirely different paint supplies and techniques to carry out their creative ideas.

Italian artists were masters of fresco painting while Flemish used oil painting to create their art works. Fresco painting does not support the rendering of precise detail. The Flemish artists prized and loved detail in their art works. By mixing oil with their pigments the Flemish could approach their painted subjects with accumulations of realistic detail and their finished art captured the essence of fine textiles and exquisite jewels.

Because Flemish painters didn't have classic Roman monuments close by to copy. They turned their focus to the Gothic style of architecture to include in their paintings.

The Flemish used symbolic objects in their realistic works, thus making their paintings a pictorial symphony of hidden meanings."
http://www.grisaille.com/Renaissance.htm

Hope it's not too long! The site is very good.