The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

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The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, from the Ghent Altarpiece

The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, from the Ghent Altarpiece

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The Descent from the Cross

The Descent from the Cross

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Adam and Eve

Adam and Eve

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Parable of the Blind

Parable of the Blind

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Hunters in the Snow (Winter)

Hunters in the Snow (Winter)

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Portrait of Henry VIII of England

Portrait of Henry VIII of England

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The Large Piece of Turf

The Large Piece of Turf

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Self Portrait at the Age of Twenty-Eight

Self Portrait at the Age of Twenty-Eight

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The Garden of Earthly Delights

The Garden of Earthly Delights

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Introducing: The Northern European Renaissance

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While “the Renaissance” usually refers to Italian art from the 15th to 17th centuries, the Northern Renaissance refers to work in the same time period from Germany, the Netherlands, and other Northern European countries. Northern Renaissance works more strictly subject New Testament narratives and patrons compared to their Italian counterparts, which also portray Classical mythology.

Early painters like Robert Campin are credited with pioneering the thin layers of oil paint that create the luminous images we associate with Renaissance painting as a whole. Campin received many commissions during his career, placing portraits of his patrons in the biblical scenes he painted. The Mérode Altarpiece (1425–28), for example, includes the two patrons on the left panel, peeping into the Annunciation scene from the bible. A few years later, Jan van Eyck perfected minute details in paintings like in Ghent Altarpiece, 1432. Hieronymus Bosch’s 1495–1505 masterpiece The Garden of Earthly Delights extended the possibilities of detail so much so that it is impossible to take in the entire painting with one look.

In 1450, the printing press was invented in Germany; as it increased in availability, it rendered Medieval era’s labor-intensive illuminated manuscripts obsolete. Albrecht Dürer took advantage of this new technology and quickly became renowned for his highly circulated woodblock prints that easily, and seemingly magically, brought images of Italian art to Northern Europe. Since artworks were no longer necessarily one of a kind and books were printed with ease, a broader range of people accessed highbrow culture and information.

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Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza: Curated Picks

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Works

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

Click to More
The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, from the Ghent Altarpiece

The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, from the Ghent Altarpiece

Click to More
The Descent from the Cross

The Descent from the Cross

Click to More
Adam and Eve

Adam and Eve

Click to More
Parable of the Blind

Parable of the Blind

Click to More
Hunters in the Snow (Winter)

Hunters in the Snow (Winter)

Click to More
Portrait of Henry VIII of England

Portrait of Henry VIII of England

Click to More
The Large Piece of Turf

The Large Piece of Turf

Click to More
Self Portrait at the Age of Twenty-Eight

Self Portrait at the Age of Twenty-Eight

Click to More
The Garden of Earthly Delights

The Garden of Earthly Delights

Click to More