Week Two: Post #2 (Nothern Renaissance Documentary)

My understanding of the documentary Northern Renaissance: The Supreme Art is that art created during this time period was all about seeing. For example seeing things portrayed as they actually appear in reality. As well as the deeper religious connotation in which seeing is some sort of spiritual act of connection, as well as a literal act connecting the person to a spiritual realm that is unseen. My gut reaction upon hearing the narrator talk about the meanings of Jan van Eyck’s The Virgin of Chancellor Rolin led me to believe that he was reading too much into the painting, giving him too much credit. In the end of that segment however my mind was completely blown to fact that he really did portray himself showing a guild member the world he resides in with special inclusion to the vineyards that essentially pay his employer and in the end are the source of his own wealth. Not to mention the even more powerful and interesting aspect to me of the chancellor. Who is symbolically through the power of prayer, and then literally in the painting seeing the Virgin Mary and Jesus as a child. This for me is the most powerful image described in the video; the Northern Renaissance in my limited opinion is all about seeing.

It is clear that in this time period supreme wealth and social status is highly upheld as in any time period. This being an almost universal truth, I found it so interesting to learn that painting became during this time another type of jewel or valuable. This was something new to be treasured and acquired to measure a person’s wealth that was cheaper and more attainable. I love the fact that value was attributed to these works because of the recognized labor that was poured into these works

Thinking about values it is so interesting to me that the religious characters depicted in these works for the most part are depicted as human. In contrast to what has been alluded to in the video and lectures that in the south these same characters will be pictured in an almost surreal way with features that are exaggerated beyond what you see in reality. To me this poses more questions about religion. Obviously these were important figures worth depicting yet they seem to value the idea that they were human in the same way that the model they were painting from was human. In contrast to that, they are placing themselves inside the narrative. Seeing their prayers come to life. Is this an egocentric act? Placing themselves at equal importance to the biblical characters depicted. Or are they earnestly seeking to see these moments that they hold so highly, through what is basically an unprecedented ability to do so? I had no idea the depth of ideas and skill in the works of the Renaissance. To the uninformed eye it is so easy to look right past these works to the work of the Southern Renaissance. I would have never realized the depth and importance of the Northern Renaissance.