What is the difference between Northern renaissance art and Italian renaissance art?

What is the difference between German and Italian Renaissance art?

• What are the MAIN differences?

• Answer:

  One approach to this question would be to compare the supreme early artists of Italy with Germany. In Italy, you could choose Michaelangelo, Raphael or Da VInci. But in Germany, the primary artist of genius was Durer. Although Michaelangelo and Rahael were primarily artists, Durer, like Da Vinci was a many of many interests and talents. Durer wrote a book on geometry and another on fortifications and in this respect his life was similar to Da Vinci, who also designed fortifications for his patrons. Durer travelled to Italy several times and was influenced by Italian art, so he could be thought of as the main transmitter of the Italian Renaissance to Germany, and ergo German art. Unlike his Italian counterparts, howerver, Durer seems to have been more independent and derived much of his income from the popular sales of engravings. Unlike most Italian painters who were preoccupied with the religious themes and the human form (due to their patronage by the Catholic Church), Durer was deeply interested in the natural world as can be seen by his watercoulour of The Hare (which has some anthropomorphic characteristics) and the Rhinocerous. The other aspect of the two genres of difference is the strong influence in Italian Renaissance by the Greek and Roman antecedents, whereas the German oeurver is more popular and new-testament oriented. This may be because the Germans didn't have the rich heritage of Roman architecture and statuary upon which to inspire their art.