Martin Luther posted ninety-five theses in an effort to call out the Church of Wittenberg and it's teaching of, "indulgences, (forgiveness of punishment for sins, usually obtained either through good works or prayers along with the payment of an appropriate sum of money" (Cunningham, 327). What started as criticism of the Church of Wittenberg, turn into a colossal wave transformation in current system of the Church. Thus igniting the era of Reformation, also known as, the Protestant Reformation.
The scales were tipped in Luther's favour when he posted his theses. As it were, there seemed to increasing envy and annoyance towards the steadily increasing wealth of the church. The people accused the medieval church of "low moral" and questioned their "intellectual condition". Not to mention the spread of nationalism sweeping throughout Europe in which people called for change as there was an, "increasing resentment at the economic and political demands made by the papacy" (Cunningham 329). The sparks of reformation were various and widespread, many of which were in place long before Luther came into the picture. Timing, coincidence, environment, and perhaps even the goodwill of the divine, all came together to ignite the Reformation.
The rise of the Protestant Reformation put artists in a tight spot. Quite a few artists were dependent on the patronage of churches, but in accordance to Protestant belief the, "scared art within the church" was viewed, "as a form of idol worship" (The Protestant Reformation... par, 3). In fact some Catholic Churches were stormed and had all its paintings, stained glass depicting religious scenes, and statues destroyed. Many artists were hesitant in creating religious art, not wanting to be caught in-between the two sects, and instead turned to more secular topics.
One such artist was Albrecht Altdorfer. Altdorfer is considered, by some, to be the founder of landscape paintings. He was also a representative of the Danube school of art. While Altdorfer did have some religious pieces done, for the most part, "His favorite subject was the leafy and impenetrable forests of Germany and Austria" and he was also, "among the the first to depict sunset lighting and picturesque ruins in twilight" (Encyclopædia Britannica, Albrecht Altdorfer). Altdofer also took up engraving and would etch miniature landscapes to be used for print.
Hieronymus Bosch and Pieter Bruegel were two other brilliant artists of the Reformation. Whereas, Bosch focused more the follies of man and the result of succumbing to ones vices in a rather dramatic and exaggerated fashion, Bruegel's art was often of simple moments of ones daily life. And while Bruegel captured seemingly mundane moments, he was able to beautify those moments so that their simplicity spoke volumes; more than any other decadent work of art could.
The Harvesters Pieter Bruegel the Elder, 1565 Metropolitan Museum of Art oil on wood, approx, 119 x162 cm
And while many artists turned away from religious depictions of art, there were some like Matthias Grunewald, whom were famed for their religious artwork. The Crucifixion is highly praised for it's anguished and yet "radiantly triumphant" rendering of the crucifixion of Jesus.
While many singularities lead to the birth of the the Reformation, it was in part truly started by one individual as he hammered in his ninety-five theses onto the doors of the Church of Wittenberg. What had started off as a protest against the medieval ways of the church, turned into an era of revolutionary reformation and the birth of Protestantism. And while, "sixteenth-century reformers, had little need or sympathy for painting and sculpture" (Cunningham 332), some of the greatest religious, and secular pieces were created during this time. The Reformation was a time of change, a change in the way of life and its earthly purists. Art was brought to new heights, be it through the electric changes or simple indifference.
a looking into how the Reformation affected the art of the times
Work Cited
“Albrecht Altdorfer | German Artist.” Encyclopedia Britannica, www.britannica.com/biography/Albrecht-Altdorfer.
Art. “Reformation500: Art of the Reformation.” YouTube, 9 Feb. 2017, youtu.be/zSAoFAJfGBY
Cunningham, Lawrence, et al. Culture & Values : A Survey of the Western Humanities. Boston, Ma, Cengage Learning, 2015.
User, Super. “Protestant Reformation’s Effect on Arts and Literature.” Onamind.Com, onamind.com/art/18-protestant-reformation-s-effect-on-arts-and-literature.
