Art of the Early Northern Renaissance

The art of Northern Europe was bolstered by the waning of feudalism and the strong economies supplied by centralized states. This lead to a proliferation of the arts especially in places like the Duchy of Burgundy where a series of rulers financed many of the great artists of the era. Artists like Robert Campin. Jan van Eyck, Rogier van der Weyden and Hans Memling brought a new sensibility to Northern European art. The wider adoption of oil painting in the 15th century led to a new style of painting allowing artists to build up many layers of paint, creating rich, saturated images. Meanwhile, the technical innovation of Florentine artists introduced a whole new visual language with innovations such as chiaroscuro and linear perspective allowing artists to picture the world with a clarity and realism never seen before.