ARTHIST 1AA3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Hans Memling, Panel Painting, Classical Antiquity
14 May 2018
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Week 2
Art and Social Context in 15th-century Northern & southern Europe
The Renaissance - the time between 1300 to 1600
o Term was already in use by the 15th century
o Named while it was actually taking place
o There were significant shifts in artistic practices and cultural practices
o But not a cultural revolution
o Re-naissance which in French means rebirth – it was really a rebirth of interest in early
Greece and Rome
o Strong need to reconcile antiquity and Christianity (the dominant religion in Europe at
the time)
Works in Northern Europe- an area that was known as Flanders (boarder of Belgium)
• A prosperous merchant society, with well developed banking system and wool trade
• Most important city was Bruges the banking capital
• Less interest in classical antiquity than there was in Italy
• Primary goal: to produce and acquire works of art that connected with everyday lives of people
that lived in Flanders
• Strong desire for naturalism
Name: Diptych Maarten van Nieuwenhove
Year: 1487
By Hans Memling –Born in Germany but spent most of career in Flanders.
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Diptych: a writing tablet or a work of art that as two panels side by side, hinges connect the panels
Triptych: a three-part work, where the outer wings are hinged and can be folder over a central panel –
as seen below…
This painting is attributed to… the workshop of the Master of Flemalle (artists)
Name: The Merode Altarpiece
Year: c. 1425-1430
Attribution: the artist to whom the work is assigned. If no name is on the art work or there is no paper
trail saying who created the art work and identifying the artist not possible then that art work is known
as an attribution
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Art and social context in 15th-century northern & southern europe. Greece and rome: strong need to reconcile antiquity and christianity (the dominant religion in europe at the time) Less interest in classical antiquity than there was in italy that lived in flanders: strong desire for naturalism. By hans memling born in germany but spent most of career in flanders. Diptych: a writing tablet or a work of art that as two panels side by side, hinges connect the panels. Triptych: a three-part work, where the outer wings are hinged and can be folder over a central panel as seen below . This painting is attributed to the workshop of the master of flemalle (artists) Attribution: the artist to whom the work is assigned. If no name is on the art work or there is no paper trail saying who created the art work and identifying the artist not possible then that art work is known as an attribution.
