About the Northern Renaissance

• The Northern Renaissance refers to Renaissance art, architecture, and philosophy that took place outside of Italy.
• The word "renaissance" is a French word that means "rebirth".
• The Northern Renaissance was the Renaissance that occurred in Europe north of the Alps.

Albrecht Dürer

• He made himself known across Europe while he was only in his twenties.
• Dürer's watercolors mark him as one of the first European landscape artists.

Hans Holbein the Younger

• He was a German and Swiss artist and printmaker and he is called "the Younger" to distinguish him from his father.
• He produced religious art, satire and Reformation propaganda and by 1535, he was King's Painter to King Henry VIII and he produced portraits and festive decorations and designs for jewelry and other precious objects.

Jan van Eyck

• He is often considered one of the founders of Early Netherlandish painting school
• He painted secular and religious subject matter, including altarpieces, single panel religious figures and commissioned portraits.

Pieter Bruegel the Elder

• He is known for his landscapes and peasant scenes and he was a pioneer in making both types of subject the main focus in large paintings.
• He is sometimes referred to as "Peasant Bruegel", to distinguish him from the many later painters in his family, including his son Pieter Brueghel the Younger and from 1559, he dropped the 'h' from his name and signed his paintings as Bruegel.

Erasmus

• Erasmus was a classical scholar and wrote in a pure Latin style.
• He prepared important new Latin and Greek editions of the New Testament, which raised questions that would be influential in the Protestant Reformation and Catholic Counter-Reformation.

Thomas More

• Sir Thomas More, known by Roman Catholics as Saint Thomas More, was an English lawyer, social philosopher, author, statesman and noted Renaissance humanist.
• More opposed the King's separation from the Catholic Church, refusing to acknowledge Henry as Supreme Head of the Church of England and after refusing to take the Oath of Supremacy, he was convicted of treason and beheaded.

Christine de Pizan

• Christine de Pizan was an Italian French late medieval author and she served as a court writer for several dukes.
• She wrote both poetry and prose works such as biographies and books containing practical advice for women.
• She completed forty-one works during her 30-year career from 1399 to 1429.