EARLY the patronage of the Court of Burronnly, and of the rh Ii burghers of the Netherlands, a school of painting arose during the latter fourteenth century. Which appear: highly develop.] in Flanders in the art of Iluvhrecht and .fall van Eyek (d. I 4 401, In their works, the most important of which is the Ghent altarpiece. we lied already :01%4,1 some of the chief of 14:minting—a fine color, bright. but in a low key: an ai:rial perspective. with trite rendering of atmosphere. and of Iig11t and shade. For the first time the landscape is used as 0 background to give senti ment to the picture. awl to promote its Unity, which is somewhat interfered with by the highly detailed finish. )litre startling still is the un compromising naturalism of the titnires, and the remarkable technique of oil painting which they invemed, and whieh was universally adopte in modern art. F,veK.1 Among the f lowers of .Tan van Eyek in the school of Bruges. which lie founded. was Petra, Cristus. while at Ghent flourished van der G.. s and In ens yin Ghent. The chief follower (or rivil of Jan van Eyck was Rogier van der W,y 1,n, who established the school of Brabant, at Brus sels, and added dramatic power and vehemence of expression.
Of the work of the early Dutch school few pictures survive. Haarlem was its centre, and Aelbert van Ouwater, celebrated for his landscape backgrounds, was the reputed founder. The work of his pupil, Gerrit van Haarlem. resem bles contemporary Flemish painting, as does also the later work of Dierik Bouts id. 1475). of Haarlem, founder of a school at Louvain. He excelled in luminous treatment and improved the landscape, contributing depth and variety of character to the school. The greatest master of the next generation is Bans Mending (d. 1495). who surpassed other Flemish masters in delicate brush‘vork and refined sentiment. Among his followers was Gheeradt David (d. 1523). tic ho introduced hremlth of treatment, especially in landscapes, though real freedom of style only came with the influence of Italy.
During the fifteenth century a Renaissance had also begun in lb-I-many, differing from the Flemish in that, although showing a strong impulse toward realism. it retained the gold backgrounds. with an innocent fervor and a graceful ..entimentalism derived from the Gothic. The chief seat of this art was Cologne, and its principal master was Stephan Lochener ((l. 1451). About 1450 the Flemish influence
made itself felt in Germany, and during the same period important local schools flourished in Southern Germany. commonly gronianl to gether the name of the Swabian school. At NoImar the chief master was Martin Schott pler ((l. 14S8). The chief seat of the school of Franconia is Nuremberg, and its principal mas ter is Michael Wolgemnt (1434-1519). Nurem berg also dominated the art of Bohemia, Silesia, and Poland (Cracow). On the whole, German art in the fifteenth century was unprogressive in character, and not until the sixteenth century, nailer Italian influence, did it pass this primi tive stage.
In France, Spain. and Portugal the Flemish influence predominated for the most part dur ing the fifteenth century. though finally yield ing to the Italian. In France pictorial art found more expression in miniatures (see MANu scairrs. ILLUMINATION OF) than in panel paint ing. The art resembled the Flemish, except that the advance to realism was slower and less marked. The chief maAter was Jean Fouquet of Tours, a portrait painter and illuminator, who practiced a detailed and exact art• like the Flemish, but with softer color, individual French characteristics, and some Italian influence.
In Spain paintings were' imported during the fourteenth century from the Netherlands and from Italy. Jan van Eyck himself visited Spain, and some of the best works of Petrus Cristns and Roger van der Weyden went there. In Aragon Florentine influence was predominant, but in Castile, where artistic prodnetion was greater, there was more Flemish, while Seville shows an amalgamation of both. The most fa mous artist of the fifteenth century was An tonio del Rineon (1446-1500), Court painter to Ferdinand and Isabella, who is said to have abandoned Flemish art for Florentine, as did also Alejo Fernandez at Seville. Another im portant name is Juan de Itorgofia (1495-1533), who labored chiefly at Avila and Toledo. Not withstanding foreign influence, the Spanish painters of the early Renaissance display a dis tinct national tendency, chiefly evident in a general brownish tone and in the landscapes. In Portugal Flemish influence prevailed until late in the sixteenth century, when it was replaced by the Italian.