The Northern Renaissance

            The Northern Renaissance is comprehended as an era of its own because of a shared and unified theme of prestige during the time, especially in art. Much like the Medieval Era before, Renaissance Art is still very influenced by religion, and some of the most famous pieces from this period are held in churches in Central Europe. After viewing the BBC documentary, Northern Renaissance: The Supreme Art, it is clear that much praise should be attributed to the Flemish artist Jan Van Eyck for his contributions to painting.

            Jan Van Eyck was known as the “Prince of Painters” for a reason. His works did not look handmade, and therefore, he was able to acquire a new status beyond a craftsman working with his hands. Paintings of his are an extreme example of the elegancy reflected throughout the world of Renaissance Art. Van Eyck captures the notion of this supremacy greatly in the painting of his altarpiece in Ghent—arguably the finest painting in the world. A depiction of Adam (the first human according to the Book of Genesis) in particular, which is located in the upper left corner of the cabinet when open, portrays impossible detail in the face, skin, hair, and just about every other aspect of the human body. Viewers at the time noted how it even seemed as though blood pulsing through his intricately painted veins. To add, his right foot is pointed upward and perceived as if stepping out of the frame into our world, which could be believable considering Van Eyck finds a way to create illusions of reality through his paintings. This is also why his works were held in such high regard—they were filled with reflective surfaces, gold, jewels, and sumptuous items painted so meticulously, reflecting light, inviting viewers, and multiplying reality, that they looked real enough to replace these material things. After this piece was first displayed, it grew famous at an incredible rate.

            Works that vibrated with a sense of luxury, royalty, and nobility like Van Eyck’s altarpiece are what people during the time of the Renaissance were looking for, which is also why Van Eyck was widely sought after and recruited to paint portraits for consumers willing to pay. His admired style reflects our reality, creating a world consistent with our own. He remastered painting in a new light through his discoveries and techniques: the 3/4^th profile portrait perspective, creating an unbroken three-dimensionality from a canvas (especially in his prayer books), and sometimes even cheating death with his realistic human figures.

            Styles and materials of elegance like Jan Van Eyck’s could be considered the height of the Northern Renaissance. His paintings not only represented nature, but they were nature.