Northern Renaissance Artwork Analysis

I selected Jan van Eyck’s Portrait of a Man (also known as Man in a Red Turban) to analyze for this assignment.  It was painted in Bruges, Belgium on October 21, 1433.  The reason I chose to write about this work over others from the Northern Renaissance was that it stood out to me as being very detailed and lifelike; it could even be mistaken for a photograph at first glance, which I find impressive.  Van Eyck manages to incorporate every wrinkle on the face and each twinkle of the eye using oil paints, something other artists may overlook or find difficult to portray in their work.  While the clarity of the physical features of the man in the painting is quite remarkable, even more stunning is the way in which van Eyck captures the personality of the man.  He looks calm yet stern with his tight lips and dubious stare, leading some people to believe that the painting is a self-portrait.  Many artists depicted themselves as confident, forthright, and proud because the status of an artist was uncertain during the Northern Renaissance.  Whether or not the painting is of van Eyck, it is definitely a sight to behold.

Portrait of a Man embodies several characteristics of humanism.  As I mentioned before, it is highly realistic.  The photograph-like quality of the painting screams humanism.  It celebrates the human body, portraying it as realistically as possible.  Also, this painting is not of a religious figure, nor is it of a royal person.  The man displayed in this piece is a commoner.  This highlights humanism because there is a separation from the church.  In years past, most art incorporated some religious figure, but during the Northern Renaissance there was a shift towards displaying the everyday man.  This painting is an example of humanism at its finest.

Works Cited

http://www.backtoclassics.com/gallery/janvaneyck/themaninaredturban/

http://thenewinquiry.com/blogs/dtake/why-is-this-man-wearing-a-turban/

Introduction

Hello!  My name is Nikki Schulz.  I am 20 years old and was born and raised in Fairbanks, AK.  I am a daughter, sister, and proud aunt of 11 nieces and nephews, plus one on the way.  I am a Junior at UAF and hope to become a nurse someday.  Some of my favorite things to do are sing, play instruments (violin, guitar, and ukulele), dance (ballet), and travel.

Art has always been a huge part of my life.  As I said before, I love to sing, play instruments, and dance.  I also enjoy writing my own songs, which allows me to express how I’m feeling in a unique way.  One of my favorite experiences involving the arts was performing in my high school’s production of Hairspray.  I made new friends and became more comfortable performing on stage as a result.  I have also enjoyed art from the perspective of an audience member.  I have viewed several plays, musicals, and ballets over the years and typically enjoy them.  The Nutcracker is my favorite ballet to watch.

My dad is a pyrographic artist, meaning he decorates wood and other materials with burn marks resulting from the controlled application of a heated tool.  He taught me how to draw when I was little.  Here is a link to his salon: http://www.oocities.org/pyroannex/tschulz.html

This is a picture of my dad and me when I was 8.  We entered some of our art into the fair and both won grand champion for our divisions!