Reformation- Art History Point of View

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The Reformation brought about change and redirection that led northern Europe and Spain down a while new artistic path. The birth of Protestantism allowed for a growth of a “spiritual model that differed from Catholicism in its emphasis on absolute faith and reliance on the Bible.” Because of the military woes that hung overhead, countries began to verbalize and speak to each other about art. Word spread from tongue to tongue and ideas were easily spread throughout Europe. Art began to change and expand from its roots, altering a common ground that hadn’t been touched in decades. Northern art continued to rally through its predecessors of the late medieval period and traditions that followed in the means of great attention to detail. This Italian influence created a greater influence on simple means enthralled into the actions of other characters and surrounding figures rather than the main theme. More tendencies that fell into place in the North were naturalism and realism, a detailed form of portraiture, and a stunning interest in landscape. Jan Gossaert’s painting, Neptune and Amphirite withholds these new standards influenced by the Reformation. Both figures are exquisitely crafted and detailed; their bodies look immaculate and sculpted to a serene perfection. The background of the painting shows columns, relatively large columns at that. They are both Ionic and Doric in stature and are surrounded by ox skulls. “Gossart likely based this fanciful setting on sketches he had made of architectural structures while in Rome.” The detail and focus on not only main characters but the surrounding scene as well strongly suggests the notion of Baroque art. Jean Clouet of France painted Francis I in 1525 and rendered a painting that is different from other portraits of times before. Francis is wearing decadent jewels and looks as though his kingdom will

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