1 The Northern Renaissance The Northern Renaissance occurred in the European countries (a new era of painting) centred mainly in Germany and Netherlands throughout 15th and 16th centuries. The Italian Renaissance did not inspire or influence others outside Italy, but from the 15th century onwards the idea spread around Europe. It was famous for its oil painting techniques (realistic), altar pieces, portraiture and forms of print making. “The fifteenth and sixteenth centuries were a time of dramatic changes in Northern Europe. Monarchs vied for territorial power, religious reformers questioned the central tenets of the church and scholars sought greater understanding of their world. Against the back drop, artists produced works of extraordinary diverse subject matter and superb technical skill.” (The Northern Renaissance, Durer to Holbein). The Italian Renaissance was based around Humanism but on the other hand The Northern Renaissance looked at religious form, a return to ancient Christian values, and a rise against the authority of the church.
During the Northern Renaissance they believed that if an image looked realistic enough would come true “seeing is believing”. In Northern Europe there were many characteristics about painting; it was extremely detailed. Oil painting was brought in after tempura, many preferred using because as an artist they we able to capture finer detail within their paintings due to the fact it was extremely slow drying so they could always go back and add extra to their paintings if necessary.