Why Italy

What were differences between Northern and Italian Rennaissance Works of Art?

I need to point out the differences and if you have any specific paintings, that would be nice.

Public Comments

1. Northern what?
2. I don't know of any specific paintings but German artist Albrecht Durer (not sure how to spell his last name) was a well known artist of the Northern Renaissance. To me, the N. Renaissance was more related to the Protestant Reformation and the changes in the church system. The Italian Renaissance celebrated the revival of Greek/Roman ideology mixed in with Catholicism.
3. Here's kind of a roundabout metaphor of the difference. At the same time the telescope was invented in Italy, the microscope was invented in Flanders. Italian rennaisance paintings have a kind of majesty and drama about them. Think of Michaelangelo's frescos like the Sistine Chapel and the statues like David. There you have these majestic paintings set in these vast landscapes or skyscapes, or with exagerrated details meant to evoke feeling and grandeur. Landscape became a perfected artform. Now when you look at Albrecht Durer or Jan van Eyck instead the vast cosmos you have astonishing details. For example in van Eyck's famous painting The Annunciation you can see that there are scenes that are painted inside the the tiles in the floor (I've seen this painting in person. It's not that big and it's encrusted with details like that). Another example is Albrecht Durer's woodcut entitled A Young Hare where you can make out almost every single hair on the animal. Whereas the southern europeans had their landscapes, the northern europeans developed portrature as an high artform. Of course my little sketch is not absolutely correct. Venetian rennaissance painters painted portraits, and Flemish painters painted landscapes, but the that's my thumb in the air synopsis of the difference in art between the two societies.