The Skill and the Broad Knowledge: Albrecht Dürer as the Epitome of the Artist-Intellectual

Abstract

An intellectual paradigm shift similar to the Italian Renaissance also took place in northern Europe. The Northern Renaissance loosely corresponds to the period 1380–1580 (1, 2). Its early phase, before 1500, is also known as the Late Gothic. In Italy, the Renaissance was essentially a cultural rebellion against Byzantine influence, a return to the Roman past, and the rise of humanism. In the North, the humanist element gained prominence, and the initial period was less focused on connecting with ancient Roman culture. Art in Northern Europe started to transform at the end of 14th century. The highly decorative style known as the International Gothic started to evolve toward realism. Even biblical scenes were painted in contemporary-looking spaces. Portraiture emerged: realistic modeling of the human body led to paintings that had previously unheard of resemblances to their models. The intense palette of the International Gothic became muted and more lifelike. The pioneers of this new paradigm were the Flemish painters Robert Campin (also known as the Master of Flemalle, active from 1406–1444) and the brothers van Eyck, Hubert (died 1426) and Jan (died 1441). Their pupil Rogier van der Weyden (1399 or 1400 to 1464) painted images with a strong expressive element. In the 1430s, realism spread to France and Germany. Europe in the 15th century was a surprisingly international place. Borders in today's sense did not exist: the more important dividers were the Alps, which separated the Italian city-states from the North. The northern merchant union known as the Hanseatic League, which existed between 1160 and 1669, included at its peak 180 towns, from the Atlantic shore to Poland and Finland and around the …