Northern Renaissance

Northern Renaissance artists perfected the use of oil paint which allowed for deep colors, minute details, and the depiction of texture. They painted with a view to realism, whether that was a human face of a brass jug, and represented material objects with pristine clarity. Some of the most important changes in northern Europe during this time include the invention of the printing press, c. 1450 and the advent of mechanically reproducible media such as woodcuts and engravings.