Expert: Jeni Andrews-Fraser - 12/21/2006

Question
Hi!

I am doing a report on renaissance art from the 15th and 16th centuries. The
artists I have chosen are not as popular as most and do not have very much
written about them or their works on the internet or in books. The art and
artists are as follows:

-Joos van Cleve, Lucretia
-Raffaellino de Garbo, Madonna Enthroned with Saints and Angels
-Rodrigo de Osona, Adoration of the Magi
-Hans Cranach, Portrait of a Lady from the Saxon Court Judith with the Head
of Holofernes

I am only using two or three of these, but one must be from Italy, i.e.
Raffaellino de Garbo. Any information about these artists or paintings would
be greatly appreciated. I need to compare and contrast and am having trouble
with the symbolism and history of these paintings and their origins. I know
this is a lot to ask at once, but I appreciate any help you have to give.

Thankyou!

Answer
Hello CeCe - my word, you have set yourself a challenge! (I wonder why you chose such obscure Italian artists - when there are plenty of more famous ones you could have selected?)  There's plenty of information on the Internet about van Cleve and Cranach - you need to be looking in Northern Renaissance sites, or sites that refer to the Northern Renaissance (as opposed to the Italian Renaissance).  I am not sure exactly what you are intended to 'compare and contrast' - their styles, their subject matter, materials, techniques ... ???  Simply put, the differences between Northern and Italian Renaissance paintings are (in some cases) the surface - Northern development of oil glazes on smaller, panel paintings while the Italians were still painting in tempera or in fresco; also the Italians tend (a rather sweeping, generalised observation) to paint religious works whereas the Northern artists also included secular portraiture (I imagine the van Cleve 'Lucretia' falls into that category; the Northerners pay particular attention to minute detail (van Eyck, van der Weyden et al.).... as for symbolism, you need a reference manual such as Hall's "Signs and Symbols in Western Art" to help you through this bit ... be sure about what you are looking at and whether it really does need a 'symbolic' interpretation!  As for de Garbo and de Osona - I'm afraid I have never heard of them.  You might try my favourite art history website - http://witcombe.sbc.edu/ARTHLinks.html- and see if it offers you some information.
Good luck with your report (and consider changing your Italian choices to some that are more achievable - be kind to yourself!)
Cheers
Jeni