Abstract
Renaissance was a revolutionary period which saw tremendous changes take place in Europe. Renaissance is a French word, which means rebirth; many a thing changed during the period of renaissance for instance the Political changes in Europe, social changes which took place during that time etc. This paper will throw light upon Grünewald’s Isenheim Altarpiece. Grünewald was a very prolific artist of the Renaissance period; he was mainly involved in making religious paintings. This paper will provide an insight on his masterpiece which is known as the Altarpiece which is now located in France.
Mathis was one of the most famous painters of the Renaissance period. He was not well known until the late 19th century which brought him to the limelight. The details about this great artist are still obscure, for the reputation that he had back then, people expect a lot of information about him but the fact is that even his real name is not known to the people. The name Mathis was given to him by a 17th century writer; this happened because the writer got confused with another artist and named him Mathis. If the facts are to be believed, his first painting is supposed to be in Munich Germany, painted in the year 1503. Mathis supposedly died in the year 1528 or 1531 in Halle. There is no concrete information about this amazing artist, very little is known about him.
The Isenheim Altarpiece is arguably his most popular work of art. The Altarpiece was completed in the year 1515 and consists of about nine images. The images include scenes like the Crucifixion of Christ, Resurrection, Mother Mary Bathing, Temptation of Saint Anthony etc. The paintings are colossal with the height of roughly about 2.65 Meters and with the width of about 5 Meters. Most of his other works are in Munich and some of them are in Basel Switzerland. The most striking aspects of his work are the dramatic forms, depiction of light and the use of vivid colors. “German author W.G. Sebald traces the life story of Grünewald in his first literary work, After Nature. This book-length prose-poem uses the preoccupations of Grünewald and especially his creation of the Isenheim Altarpiece to communicate an intensely apocalyptic vision of a world that has abandoned nature” (Curiosity and Catastrophe, 2009).
The masterpiece is mainy about the Crucifixion of Christ, the dark blood of Christ stands out in the painting, it is clearly visible in the dark green colour which constitute to the color of the Flesh of Christ. The sufferings that Christ underwent are clearly reflected in the eyes of Mother Mary who faints in the arms of ST John. The painting is very original and crude as well. There could be nothing as real and thought provoking in all his works.
“Grunewald’s work is a classic example of how an artist can be a great artist, but still not progress in his career. This is a fact that the greatness of art does not lie in discovering something new. The artist was a genius and he was very familiar with these discoveries and these discoveries helped him express himself better. The death and the resurrection have been shown in a very effective way by the artist. This goes to show that he was very versatile and could easily pull off difficult tasks with ease. It is quite difficult to interpret the picture as the use of colors in the picture is quite ambiguous but all in all the art is undoubtedly a masterpiece. “(Grunewald, the Crucifixion, 2009).
The masterpiece is well appreciated even to date; this goes to show the dedication and sincerity with which Mathis created this masterpiece. He did not stick to the traditional rules that the modern art enforced upon artists. The same can be clearly made out by the difference in the sizes of the characters. The work is very out of the box, free from any restrictions and very original and extremely moving.
Mannerism and the Masterpiece
“The term Mannerism derives from the Italian word maniera, meaning “style” or “way of working.” Writers of the 16th century praised works for having maniera—a way of saying they were stylish. But critics also used the term in a negative sense, for works in which the artist seemed to rely too much on imagination or on conventions established by other artists, rather than on observation of nature. Until the early 20th century such negative associations led scholars to think of Mannerism as a decadent style, a decline from what they considered to be the perfection of the Renaissance.” (Mannerism, 2009).
Florence was one of the most exciting places in Europe, located in Italy the city had a population of roughly about 60,000 people in the fifteenth century. The most noticeable aspect of Florence was that it was a self governed and most importantly an independent city.
The city grew with leaps and bounds because of its strong economic background to match this, the city also boasted of a strong political philosophy, these factors contributed in the immense success of Florence during the period of the Renaissance. The economy of Florence was centered on the manufacturing of goods or trade of cloth so inevitably meant that the most powerful people in the city had to be the people who represented the textile workers. Workers in Florence were experts when it came to transforming wool into cloth of an excellent quality; they were well acquainted with the ways to do the same. The process was a quite complicated one which involved dying of wool, cleaning the wool and a host of other processes.
“The Palazzo Vecchio, constructed in 1299, was the home of the Florentine guilds. Then, as well as today, it functioned as the seat of municipal government and the heart of Florentine culture. It was here that the city’s 5,000 guild members, who had the power of the vote, gathered to discuss and determine city issues. In addition to textile workers and bankers, the guild members included masons and builders, sculptors, lawyers, and solicitors” (Renaissance, 2009).
Florence was a very different city; it was unlike Venice or for that matter any other city during the time of Renaissance. Sea trade did not flourish in Florence as much as it did in Venice because the people of Florence had many other interests which fetched them much more than sea trade, this was primarily the reason why sea trade never flourished in Florence. Banking was one of the most common professions during the time of Renaissance; many families tasted success being bankers in Florence. The gold coin Manufactured in Florence was a trademark of purity and was accepted the world over by people. The buildings and the sculpture are very famous and looked upon by many people all across the globe, some of the buildings built at that time still stand tall, this goes to show the pain and the efforts that were out in by the people at that time. “The interior of the church of Santa Croce houses important works of Renaissance art. These include the tomb of Florentine chancellor and humanist Leonardo Bruni, created by Bernardo Rossellino, and two works by Donatello: The Annunciation and his wooden Crucifix. The Bardi Chapel, named for a family of wealthy Florentine bankers, is decorated with frescoes by Giotto that tell stories of Saint Francis. Giotto’s works are an important bridge from the late Middle Ages to the Renaissance, particularly because his characters express emotion” (Art Outside and Inside, 2009).
Florence is considered as one of the most important cities that prospered during the time of Renaissance. The city prospered in more ways than one, the people indulged in lucrative professions which made them financially sound also making the economy of the City extremely sound. The profession that made people rich have already been explained in great depth. The professions included banking and as well as textiles business and for this reason these professions were some of the most common professions adopted by the people of Florence. The city is very rich culturally, politically and socially. The paintings in the city of artists like Michelangelo, Leonardo Da Vinci etc are the focal point of the rich art that can be found in the country. Da Vinci is one of the most famous paintings ever made and it is known in every nook and corner of the world. These are some of the characteristics that have brought Italy on the world map and made it so famous. It is very fair to say that Florence has not lost its beauty and even today it is as beautiful as it was during the period of Renaissance and this is evident by the fact that Florence is one of the top most tourist destination across the globe and people from all over the world visit Florence to enjoy its scenic beauty and to take back memories that will last them a lifetime.
Germany was initially reluctant in accepting the Italian way but gradually everything fell into place and Germany accepted the Italian way. One of the most promising artists of Germany was Durer, who was trained as a goldsmith but it did not take him long to discover his real interest. He was a child prodigy when it came to painting. The artist did not take it long to discover his passion for painting and took to full-time painting very soon in his life.
“He was much taken with perspective and understood the science in all its complexity. Dürer was understandably drawn to Italy. The artist also visited Italy at least twice, once in 1494 and again from 1505 to 1507. He was closely associated with humanists and philosophers and made prints on allegorical and classical subjects as well as on religious themes. Dürer traveled a good deal during his lifetime; on a memorable trip to Flanders and the Netherlands from 1520 to 1521, he kept an illustrated diary, still preserved.” (Renaissance Art in Germany, 2009).
One of the most prolific artists during this movement was Michelangelo; he used mannerism in his paintings in the Sistine Chapel. By making use of Mannerism artists across the globe gave more thrust upon the meaning that they wanted to convey through their paintings. Last Judgment by Michelangelo is a classic example of Mannerism in Italy.
References
- Grunewald, the Crucifixion. In Panel from the Isenheim altarpiece: oil on wood. Web.
- Curiosity and Catastrophe – New York Times.
- Art Outside and Inside. In Focus on Florence.
- Mannerism. In MSN.
- Renaissance Art in Germany. In Renaissance Art and Architecture.
