Giovani Arnolfini And His Wife Analysis

Van Eyck's Portrait of Giovani Arnolfini and His Wife, Givanna Cenami and Masaccio's Trinity with the Virgin, Saint John the Evangelist, and Donors are two paintings that clearly reflect the respective artistic traditions of the Northern and Italian Renaissance. Each painting is reflective of the buying public, the northern resistance to let go of Gothic design, the dichatomony of a more Humanistic tradition and a more religious culture, the area's climate, the restructuring of the church with Martin Luther, the guild systems, and the mass production of illuminated manuscripts. Each tiny influence of the current culture had a very visible influence on the respective paintings.

The Northern Renaissance was assisted by the ritzy aristocracy that sought to fill their homes with paintings and artwork. As such artists were commissioned to paint family portraits or whatever was requested. Those who purchased paintings also wanted to maximize on their purchase and wanted the artist to put as much detail into the painting as possible. Most Northern
The Catholic Church was (and still is) very strong in Italy and as such depictions of Christ were more important to people in Italy than in the north where disinterest was beginning to develop in the northern countries where there was more of a focus on philosophy and thinking rationally. With the revolution of Martin Luther and eventually the reign of Henry VIII who threw off his allegiance to the Catholic Church in the mid sixteenth century. These influences made paintings like Masaccio's a hot commodity to cathedrals around Italy. Humanism was an influence within the Catholic Church with a focus on values, capacities, worth, needs, and welfare of the people. Such images of Christ as in Masaccio's painting were reminders of such philosophies. Northern countries did not have such examples of ancient times but rather depicted people in their daily