The Renaissance

Portrait of a Lady by Rogier Van der Weyden

This is a painting created by artist Rogier Van der Weyden (1399 - 1464), Flemish's artist of great influence.  The significance of Van der Weyden's work is that it performed a valuable service by preserving the Gothic concerns for good design and vivid emotion.  His work provided evocative impressions of people and emotion in the early 1400's.  Northern 15th century art developed into a style that combined the realism of Jan van Eyck, a famous artist known for his attention to detail, combined with the emotionalism and attention to design found in works done during the Gothic period.  When Rogier died in 1464, he had been the most famous painter in Flanders for 30 years; his influence was second to none outside Italy - known for his commitment to realism and emotion.  Flanders became the art center of Northern Europe.  

The 15th century brought industry strive, population growth, vigorous middle class and thoughts fixed on the here and now; Northern European art reflected this development, artists represented spiritual feelings through symbolism.  Rogier Van der Weyden's work is most often compared to that of Jan van Eyck, who is most famous for his introduction to oil painting, and was one of the first painters to use it.  Rogier Van der Weyden followed with this tradition while combining his own creativity as an artist.  Rogier combined both the detailed work of van Eyck while providing insight into emotions and realism, setting an example for other artists.  Van der Weyden's Gothic inspired realism could've been lost in the rush to use Van Eyck's new oil painting technique to produce highly detailed pictures.  

The significance of Rogier Van der Weyden's picture, Portrait of a Lady, is that it provides so much proof of his impact as an artist and validation that Van der Weyden really did revolutionize realism and emotionalism.  The portrait is pleasant yet bold - the lady's lightly locked fingers gently rest on the frame of the picture, provoking a pleasant feeling; while the sharp contour lines provide contrast, provoking a bold feeling.  The portrait is set against a dark background, against the face with it's quiet, dignified expression, causing the face to stand out.  There are sharp and subtle contour lines in this portrait, the outline of the headdress, bounding the shape is an example of the sharp contour lines, yet being contradicted by the thin and transparency of the headdress revealing the lady's shoulder.  The subtle contour lines can be seen in the contour lines that shape her face and skin.  The idea that the light flows evenly over the picture makes the portrait pleasing and beautiful.  Based on the gold rings and belt, we can presume that the woman is wealthy.  The vast amount of insight that Van der Weyden managed to provide through his art is undeniable and should inspire artists to this very date.


The reason Rogier Van der Weyden's Portrait of a Lady caught my attention and motivated me to invest myself into research is because of the simple complexity of this particular piece of work.  While the simple complexity is definitely an oxymoron, it is evident that both characteristics are present upon this picture.  I admire Van der Weyden for his close attention to detail, which many artists during the Renaissance ignored and I think this attention to detail also led to true realism which is the most important aspect of art and photography.  Van der Weyden's sought only the strictest fidelity to emotionalism by continuing to provide insight into a person through a portrait.  This commitment to prevailing emotions and information is the basis of art history and how further generations learn about the past through first hand documentation of previous life and the kinds of influences that were being put on people in society in Northern Europe during the 1400's.  Rogier Van der Weyden really showcases raw and honest emotions in his portraits and other paintings and was one of the first to do so, making him the symbol of emotionalism and realism in art.  This commitment inspires me as a young artist and undoubtedly has inspired many artists in modern day society to not only prevail metaphors and suggestions but to produce work that documents feelings and details.