A Comparison Between the Northern and Italian Renaissance

Northern Renaissance portrait: click here to read more about it.

Jean Hey? or the Master of Moulins, Portrait of
Margaret of Austria, oil on panel, c. 1490 (Metropolitan Museum of Art)

Typical characteristics of the Northern Renaissance style
The artist has used the new medium of oil paint to depict the textures of objects. Notice the red velvet of the figure's dress, the shiny gold of her pendant, the pearlescent rosary beads held in her hands, and the lightly sparkling gold on the shawl over her head). Northern Renaissance artists were especially interested in depicting light on reflective surfaces. In this portrait, all the gold glistens and reflects the light—even the tiny row of beads that frame her face.

We also see that the artist seems to have painted her exactly the way she looks, with her lips pursed, and a small bump on the end of her nose. The artist did not idealize her features at all, which is another typical feature of Northern Renaissance art. Whereas the Italians had learned to idealize by studying the sculpture of classical antiquity, Northern Europeans were relatively less influenced by ancient Greek and Roman culture, in part because of their geographical distance.

Also typical for much of Northern Renaissance portraiture is the inclusion of a very elaborate landscape that seems to go on as far as the eye can see. These landscapes often contain numerous details, such as a castle, trees, a lake, hills, a town in the distance, light reflecting in the water—and the illusion of space created by atmospheric perspective. There are so many things to look at here, and the artist seems to be giving equal importance to all parts of the painting.

Also, this artist is using symbolism—something that is very typical of the Northern Renaissance. Click on the link above to find out what her pendant means!