1 00:00:03,733 --> 00:00:07,066 - Hi, I'm Rick Steves, back with more of the best of Europe. 2 00:00:07,066 --> 00:00:09,566 This time, rather than a particular place, 3 00:00:09,566 --> 00:00:11,066 we're going thematic 4 00:00:11,066 --> 00:00:13,733 and traveling anywhere that theme takes us. 5 00:00:13,733 --> 00:00:17,500 This time, it's the art of the Renaissance beyond Italy. 6 00:00:17,500 --> 00:00:19,400 From its springboard here in Florence, 7 00:00:19,400 --> 00:00:22,433 this cultural explosion spread far and wide, 8 00:00:22,433 --> 00:00:23,933 from Spain and Portugal 9 00:00:23,933 --> 00:00:26,800 to the Netherlands and Germany and beyond. 10 00:00:26,800 --> 00:00:27,966 Thanks for joining us. 11 00:00:29,000 --> 00:00:31,666 (bright music) 12 00:00:52,100 --> 00:00:55,466 (bright music continues) 13 00:01:00,633 --> 00:01:04,266 For two centuries, roughly 1400 to 1600, 14 00:01:04,266 --> 00:01:06,033 there was an explosion of art, 15 00:01:06,033 --> 00:01:09,100 learning, and culture known as the Renaissance. 16 00:01:09,100 --> 00:01:11,300 After centuries of medieval struggles, 17 00:01:11,300 --> 00:01:14,066 Europe enjoyed a rebirth, or renaissance, 18 00:01:14,066 --> 00:01:17,000 of the enlightened ways of ancient Greece and Rome. 19 00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:19,533 Though born in Florence, all this progress, 20 00:01:19,533 --> 00:01:23,333 so much great thinking and art, couldn't be contained. 21 00:01:23,333 --> 00:01:26,100 We'll see the dramatic revolution in art 22 00:01:26,100 --> 00:01:29,633 and meet the artistic geniuses who made it possible. 23 00:01:29,633 --> 00:01:32,300 In the seafaring lands of Spain and Portugal, 24 00:01:32,300 --> 00:01:34,800 we'll learn how plunder and trade funded art 25 00:01:34,800 --> 00:01:37,100 from lacy Manueline cloisters 26 00:01:37,100 --> 00:01:39,766 to the mystical beauty of El Greco. 27 00:01:39,766 --> 00:01:41,433 Following the Renaissance north, 28 00:01:41,433 --> 00:01:44,433 we marvel at German woodcarvers, 29 00:01:44,433 --> 00:01:46,433 the first mass-produced artists, 30 00:01:46,433 --> 00:01:50,300 and the lovingly detailed work of masters in Belgium, 31 00:01:50,300 --> 00:01:53,133 Flanders, and Holland. 32 00:01:53,133 --> 00:01:56,733 Art that offers a vivid slice-of-life peek into their world, 33 00:01:56,733 --> 00:01:59,300 as well as art that takes us to places 34 00:01:59,300 --> 00:02:01,333 we might not want to go. 35 00:02:01,333 --> 00:02:03,500 With the money of merchant patrons, 36 00:02:03,500 --> 00:02:07,433 new technology in oil paints, and a more modern outlook, 37 00:02:07,433 --> 00:02:10,200 the Renaissance revolutionized the way we think 38 00:02:10,200 --> 00:02:13,166 about our world and our place in it. 39 00:02:14,300 --> 00:02:16,033 We'll track the spread of the Renaissance 40 00:02:16,033 --> 00:02:19,900 from its birthplace in Italy to Portugal and Spain. 41 00:02:19,900 --> 00:02:23,233 Then we head north to Germany and the Low Countries. 42 00:02:26,166 --> 00:02:28,600 Though best known for its art, the Renaissance 43 00:02:28,600 --> 00:02:30,566 would change Europe in every way, 44 00:02:30,566 --> 00:02:34,133 from politics to economics to religion. 45 00:02:34,133 --> 00:02:37,533 Most of all, it was a whole new attitude toward life, 46 00:02:37,533 --> 00:02:40,233 a new optimism and confidence. 47 00:02:40,233 --> 00:02:42,700 It was humanism. 48 00:02:42,700 --> 00:02:45,266 Humanism focused not on our sinfulness, 49 00:02:45,266 --> 00:02:50,033 as dominated the Middle Ages, but in our essential goodness. 50 00:02:51,400 --> 00:02:55,000 People worked hard, making money was respectable, 51 00:02:55,000 --> 00:02:57,500 and excellence was rewarded. 52 00:02:57,500 --> 00:03:01,500 Real-life people, not just saints and kings, were worthy, 53 00:03:01,500 --> 00:03:04,066 worthy of being portrayed realistically, 54 00:03:04,066 --> 00:03:06,600 in all their human glory. 55 00:03:06,600 --> 00:03:07,666 Humanism. 56 00:03:12,066 --> 00:03:14,766 The Renaissance was a time of great curiosity, 57 00:03:14,766 --> 00:03:17,200 confidence, and bold new ideas. 58 00:03:17,200 --> 00:03:20,333 Leonardo, Luther, Machiavelli, Michelangelo, 59 00:03:20,333 --> 00:03:21,766 consider these great names 60 00:03:21,766 --> 00:03:24,900 and that they were all living around the year 1500. 61 00:03:24,900 --> 00:03:28,966 And so was Vasco da Gama, Columbus, and Magellan. 62 00:03:28,966 --> 00:03:30,866 There was a collective sense of adventure, 63 00:03:30,866 --> 00:03:32,833 to reach out and explore. 64 00:03:32,833 --> 00:03:35,333 The Renaissance was fueled in part by the riches 65 00:03:35,333 --> 00:03:38,200 generated by the growth of overseas trade. 66 00:03:38,200 --> 00:03:41,333 It was a time of exploration and conquest, 67 00:03:41,333 --> 00:03:43,433 an age known both ethnocentrically 68 00:03:43,433 --> 00:03:47,200 and euphemistically as the Age of Discovery. 69 00:03:48,600 --> 00:03:52,133 The Age of Discovery changed Europe forever. 70 00:03:52,133 --> 00:03:55,666 As explorers sailed east for the luxury goods of Asia 71 00:03:55,666 --> 00:03:58,433 and west for the gold of the Americas, 72 00:03:58,433 --> 00:04:00,766 they returned with new plants, animals, 73 00:04:00,766 --> 00:04:05,166 and lots of plunder, including enslaved people. 74 00:04:05,166 --> 00:04:08,233 Soon, exotic luxuries and gold from abroad 75 00:04:08,233 --> 00:04:11,700 were decorating Europe's palaces and churches. 76 00:04:18,033 --> 00:04:21,333 This age made the seafaring nations of Spain and Portugal, 77 00:04:21,333 --> 00:04:24,066 rather than Italy, the richest countries in Europe, 78 00:04:24,066 --> 00:04:26,733 funding another cultural and artistic boom. 79 00:04:28,133 --> 00:04:31,066 The Age of Discovery began in Portugal, 80 00:04:31,066 --> 00:04:34,400 as the ornate architecture of the day recalls. 81 00:04:34,400 --> 00:04:36,833 This tower, protecting Lisbon's harbor, 82 00:04:36,833 --> 00:04:39,833 was the last sight sailors saw as they headed out 83 00:04:39,833 --> 00:04:43,600 into the unknown and the first they saw when they returned, 84 00:04:43,600 --> 00:04:47,733 bearing plunder, gold, and spices. 85 00:04:47,733 --> 00:04:50,633 These early explorers were certainly heroic, 86 00:04:50,633 --> 00:04:54,166 eyes on the horizon, but with hands on their swords, 87 00:04:54,166 --> 00:04:57,333 they were also cruel conquistadors. 88 00:04:57,333 --> 00:05:00,233 They ushered in a time of trade and advancement 89 00:05:00,233 --> 00:05:04,400 but also a dark time of exploitation and slavery. 90 00:05:05,666 --> 00:05:07,933 Portugal's Prince Henry the Navigator holds the ship 91 00:05:07,933 --> 00:05:10,700 that made it all possible, a caravel. 92 00:05:12,133 --> 00:05:15,233 Tiny Portugal on the Atlantic seaboard eventually emerged 93 00:05:15,233 --> 00:05:17,300 as an economic and cultural power 94 00:05:17,300 --> 00:05:19,266 with its own distinctive art. 95 00:05:20,433 --> 00:05:23,800 This ornate monastery was built by King Manuel 96 00:05:23,800 --> 00:05:27,233 as a thanks to God for the wealth that poured in. 97 00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:32,700 Manuel financed the construction by taxing spices 98 00:05:32,700 --> 00:05:34,133 brought back from Asia. 99 00:05:34,133 --> 00:05:37,300 He built all of this on the site of a humble chapel, 100 00:05:37,300 --> 00:05:38,566 where seafarers prayed 101 00:05:38,566 --> 00:05:40,700 before leaving on their frightening voyages. 102 00:05:40,700 --> 00:05:44,033 The style of Manuel's church, Manueline. 103 00:05:44,033 --> 00:05:46,166 This uniquely Portuguese style of art 104 00:05:46,166 --> 00:05:49,333 reflects the wealth and diverse culture of the age. 105 00:05:49,333 --> 00:05:51,533 It features motifs from the sea. 106 00:05:51,533 --> 00:05:53,600 Interiors are open and airy, 107 00:05:53,600 --> 00:05:57,500 with slender columns reminiscent of exotic palm trees. 108 00:05:57,500 --> 00:06:00,900 Monsters evoke the mystery of uncharted lands. 109 00:06:02,300 --> 00:06:04,633 There's a column of indigenous people. 110 00:06:06,900 --> 00:06:10,233 Artichokes eaten by sailors to fight scurvy. 111 00:06:10,233 --> 00:06:13,266 And the ceiling, a Scout handbook of knots. 112 00:06:13,266 --> 00:06:16,333 It all trumpets Portugal's nautical know-how. 113 00:06:17,566 --> 00:06:20,566 These lacy Manueline cloisters are a testament 114 00:06:20,566 --> 00:06:23,766 to the bold entrepreneurial and conquering spirit 115 00:06:23,766 --> 00:06:26,333 that launched the Age of Discovery 116 00:06:26,333 --> 00:06:27,966 and the affluence and art 117 00:06:27,966 --> 00:06:31,366 that resulted in Portugal and beyond. 118 00:06:32,933 --> 00:06:36,400 The Age of Discovery reached its peak in Spain. 119 00:06:36,400 --> 00:06:38,533 King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, 120 00:06:38,533 --> 00:06:40,266 the monarchs who commissioned Columbus, 121 00:06:40,266 --> 00:06:42,600 ushered in Spain's so-called Golden Age. 122 00:06:43,833 --> 00:06:46,300 The massive wealth plundered from the Americas 123 00:06:46,300 --> 00:06:48,433 was transformed into great art, 124 00:06:50,000 --> 00:06:55,066 towering altarpieces of silver and gold, cavernous churches, 125 00:06:57,933 --> 00:07:01,500 grand palaces, elaborate carvings, 126 00:07:05,966 --> 00:07:10,100 and paintings that told the story as Spain wanted it told. 127 00:07:12,266 --> 00:07:14,466 Europe's mightiest power ruled an empire 128 00:07:14,466 --> 00:07:16,233 that stretched across the globe, 129 00:07:16,233 --> 00:07:19,833 from the Spanish Netherlands all the way to the Philippines. 130 00:07:19,833 --> 00:07:23,200 With their immense wealth, cosmopolitan Spanish monarchs 131 00:07:23,200 --> 00:07:26,500 appreciated and collected art from far and wide. 132 00:07:27,766 --> 00:07:31,166 The Spanish especially loved art from faraway Venice, 133 00:07:31,166 --> 00:07:34,066 a once-great power that, while in elegant decline, 134 00:07:34,066 --> 00:07:37,133 was still producing great art. 135 00:07:37,133 --> 00:07:40,733 Rich conservative Spaniards ate up the big canvases 136 00:07:40,733 --> 00:07:44,200 and bright colors of the Venetian Renaissance, 137 00:07:44,200 --> 00:07:48,400 women, painted lush and golden, bathed in a soft-focus haze, 138 00:07:48,400 --> 00:07:51,166 like the city of Venice itself. 139 00:07:51,166 --> 00:07:54,700 They reveled in the Venetians' buoyant Renaissance spirit. 140 00:07:57,766 --> 00:08:00,000 Titian, the greatest Venetian painter, 141 00:08:00,000 --> 00:08:02,500 captured on canvas the bold confidence 142 00:08:02,500 --> 00:08:04,166 of the Spanish king, 143 00:08:04,166 --> 00:08:07,100 the most powerful man in the world, Charles V. 144 00:08:08,733 --> 00:08:11,200 The emperor's son, though very religious, 145 00:08:11,200 --> 00:08:14,400 collected a bevy of sensual Titians. 146 00:08:14,400 --> 00:08:16,066 We see the moral conflicts 147 00:08:16,066 --> 00:08:18,066 these people must have struggled with, 148 00:08:18,066 --> 00:08:20,666 as this nobleman, with his hands on his organ, 149 00:08:20,666 --> 00:08:23,466 is torn between high cultural pleasures 150 00:08:23,466 --> 00:08:26,533 like music and more worldly pleasures. 151 00:08:28,066 --> 00:08:30,233 During this age, it must have seemed 152 00:08:30,233 --> 00:08:32,333 as if Europe's elites were being showered 153 00:08:32,333 --> 00:08:34,433 with blessings from heaven, 154 00:08:34,433 --> 00:08:36,333 At least that's the implied message 155 00:08:36,333 --> 00:08:38,033 they hung on their walls. 156 00:08:41,566 --> 00:08:44,600 The artistic influences from Spain's vast empire 157 00:08:44,600 --> 00:08:47,433 came together in Toledo with its greatest 158 00:08:47,433 --> 00:08:49,433 and last Renaissance painter. 159 00:08:49,433 --> 00:08:52,500 His name was Domenikos Theotokopoulos, 160 00:08:52,500 --> 00:08:55,766 though his tongue-tied friends just called him The Greek, 161 00:08:55,766 --> 00:08:57,366 or El Greco. 162 00:08:58,633 --> 00:09:01,733 Artistically, he's hard to classify. 163 00:09:01,733 --> 00:09:04,300 El Greco's work reflects his strong faith 164 00:09:04,300 --> 00:09:06,466 and his much-traveled life. 165 00:09:06,466 --> 00:09:09,066 It's a synthesis of three cultures, 166 00:09:09,066 --> 00:09:12,533 the icon-like faces of his Greek Orthodox homeland, 167 00:09:12,533 --> 00:09:14,633 the bold color and twisting poses 168 00:09:14,633 --> 00:09:16,600 from his schooling in Venice, 169 00:09:16,600 --> 00:09:19,700 and the mystical Catholicism of Spain, 170 00:09:19,700 --> 00:09:22,566 where he eventually settled, in the city of Toledo, 171 00:09:22,566 --> 00:09:24,533 then Spain's capital. 172 00:09:24,533 --> 00:09:28,200 It's there that El Greco forged his unique style. 173 00:09:30,533 --> 00:09:32,166 Working at the end of the Renaissance, 174 00:09:32,166 --> 00:09:33,733 the art of El Greco overlapped 175 00:09:33,733 --> 00:09:36,733 with the next artistic style, Mannerism. 176 00:09:36,733 --> 00:09:40,300 Imagine being an artist coming after Leonardo and Raphael. 177 00:09:40,300 --> 00:09:42,400 How to improve on their brilliance? 178 00:09:42,400 --> 00:09:45,600 You'd make your art as a reaction to their perfection. 179 00:09:47,000 --> 00:09:50,633 Mannerism is a melodramatic departure from the calm realism 180 00:09:50,633 --> 00:09:53,700 so cherished by Renaissance sensibilities. 181 00:09:54,866 --> 00:09:58,966 It featured elongated bodies, twisting poses, 182 00:09:58,966 --> 00:10:00,600 and smooth brushwork. 183 00:10:01,866 --> 00:10:05,400 Parmigianino, for example, with his slippery baby 184 00:10:05,400 --> 00:10:08,600 and stretched-out Madonna, is famed for this. 185 00:10:10,733 --> 00:10:13,666 Even Michelangelo's very last statue, 186 00:10:13,666 --> 00:10:17,266 his unfinished "Pieta Rondanini" in Milan, 187 00:10:17,266 --> 00:10:19,733 has this stretched-out aesthetic. 188 00:10:23,133 --> 00:10:26,900 But we're in Spain, and El Greco is a fine example. 189 00:10:26,900 --> 00:10:30,866 As a Mannerist, El Greco painted supernatural visions, 190 00:10:32,233 --> 00:10:35,433 elongated saints, stretched between earth and heaven. 191 00:10:35,433 --> 00:10:38,533 He painted souls, not bodies. 192 00:10:38,533 --> 00:10:41,400 Faces flicker like candles. 193 00:10:41,400 --> 00:10:44,600 Thoroughly modern in its disregard for realism, 194 00:10:44,600 --> 00:10:48,333 El Greco's art feels contemporary even today. 195 00:10:51,533 --> 00:10:53,900 This altarpiece depicting the Virgin Mary 196 00:10:53,900 --> 00:10:57,433 ascending to heaven, combines El Greco's signature elements 197 00:10:57,433 --> 00:11:00,366 to capture an otherworldly event. 198 00:11:00,366 --> 00:11:02,733 While on earth, the city of Toledo sleeps, 199 00:11:02,733 --> 00:11:06,466 an angel in a billowing robe spreads its wings and flies up, 200 00:11:06,466 --> 00:11:09,566 supporting the Virgin Mary on her trip to heaven. 201 00:11:10,933 --> 00:11:14,066 In this divine vision, she floats through warped space, 202 00:11:14,066 --> 00:11:17,033 to be serenaded by angels and wrapped 203 00:11:17,033 --> 00:11:20,200 in the radiant light of the Holy Spirit. 204 00:11:20,200 --> 00:11:24,833 Mary is charged from within by the ecstasy of her faith. 205 00:11:26,333 --> 00:11:29,266 No painter captured the mystery of the spiritual world 206 00:11:29,266 --> 00:11:31,200 quite like El Greco. 207 00:11:31,200 --> 00:11:34,833 He fused innovative techniques with Spanish religiosity 208 00:11:34,833 --> 00:11:38,666 to cap the Renaissance of Golden Age Spain. 209 00:11:42,266 --> 00:11:44,933 The Renaissance eventually spread throughout Europe. 210 00:11:44,933 --> 00:11:46,233 In each country, 211 00:11:46,233 --> 00:11:48,200 the art and architecture evolved differently, 212 00:11:48,200 --> 00:11:50,400 shaped by that country's unique cultural 213 00:11:50,400 --> 00:11:52,200 and economic environment. 214 00:11:52,200 --> 00:11:54,933 That's clear in Europe's Northern Renaissance. 215 00:11:57,066 --> 00:12:00,266 In Germany, the spirit of the age thrived in merchant towns 216 00:12:00,266 --> 00:12:02,533 like Rothenburg, which looks today 217 00:12:02,533 --> 00:12:05,000 much like it did in the 1500s. 218 00:12:06,266 --> 00:12:09,500 This wooden altarpiece, Rothenburg's artistic highlight, 219 00:12:09,500 --> 00:12:12,133 is a testament to German craftsmanship. 220 00:12:13,533 --> 00:12:16,800 Tilman Riemenschneider, the Michelangelo of woodcarvers, 221 00:12:16,800 --> 00:12:19,766 created it to hold a tiny crystal capsule 222 00:12:19,766 --> 00:12:22,200 believed to contain a drop of Jesus' blood. 223 00:12:25,433 --> 00:12:28,700 Carved 500 years ago, the dramatic expressions 224 00:12:28,700 --> 00:12:31,400 add emotion to the story. 225 00:12:31,400 --> 00:12:34,700 In the scene of the Last Supper, Jesus gives Judas, 226 00:12:34,700 --> 00:12:37,166 as usual, clutching his bag of coins, 227 00:12:37,166 --> 00:12:40,133 a piece of bread, marking him as the traitor. 228 00:12:41,333 --> 00:12:44,433 This exquisite altarpiece is a German blend 229 00:12:44,433 --> 00:12:48,233 of medieval piety and Renaissance sophistication. 230 00:12:51,633 --> 00:12:53,900 In painting, Germany's Renaissance master 231 00:12:53,900 --> 00:12:55,300 was Albrecht Durer. 232 00:12:56,666 --> 00:12:59,866 He traveled to Italy and brought home Italy's embrace 233 00:12:59,866 --> 00:13:02,966 of realism, humanism, and respect for artists 234 00:13:02,966 --> 00:13:05,133 as cultural leaders of the day. 235 00:13:06,633 --> 00:13:08,700 Bold and dynamic and quirky, 236 00:13:08,700 --> 00:13:11,666 Durer had no problem with his ego. 237 00:13:11,666 --> 00:13:14,800 He painted himself almost as the Christ of his day, 238 00:13:14,800 --> 00:13:19,000 celebrating his genius and his great head of hair. 239 00:13:19,000 --> 00:13:22,200 His proud monogram marks nearly all his art. 240 00:13:23,466 --> 00:13:25,133 Durer was more than a painter. 241 00:13:25,133 --> 00:13:27,866 As a master engraver, he created prints 242 00:13:27,866 --> 00:13:30,766 made from finely crafted metal plates. 243 00:13:30,766 --> 00:13:35,300 His trademark detail and realism is extraordinary. 244 00:13:35,300 --> 00:13:38,400 At his workshop, you can see how it's with these tools 245 00:13:38,400 --> 00:13:41,433 that the artist cuts an image into the copper plate. 246 00:13:42,966 --> 00:13:46,433 After rubbing it with ink, a print is made from the plate. 247 00:13:51,266 --> 00:13:54,033 Durer was famous for his vivid portrayals 248 00:13:54,033 --> 00:13:55,633 of the natural world. 249 00:13:55,633 --> 00:13:59,433 To be able to enjoy such beautiful yet mass-produced art 250 00:13:59,433 --> 00:14:02,166 must have been a marvel 500 years ago. 251 00:14:03,433 --> 00:14:06,500 Durer was the first best-selling artist in history. 252 00:14:06,500 --> 00:14:08,633 Thanks to this impressive new technology, 253 00:14:08,633 --> 00:14:11,600 many prints could be made from a single master plate. 254 00:14:13,200 --> 00:14:16,566 Durer's engravings were affordable and spread across Europe, 255 00:14:16,566 --> 00:14:19,366 further accelerating the rapid spread of new art 256 00:14:19,366 --> 00:14:21,166 and new ideas. 257 00:14:23,566 --> 00:14:26,200 The Northern Renaissance wasn't a renaissance 258 00:14:26,200 --> 00:14:28,733 in the literal, or Italian, sense, like the rebirth 259 00:14:28,733 --> 00:14:30,733 of classical culture in Florence. 260 00:14:30,733 --> 00:14:34,633 It was a cultural boom funded by an economic boom. 261 00:14:34,633 --> 00:14:37,566 While in the south, it was art for kings, nobility, 262 00:14:37,566 --> 00:14:39,366 and the church, here in the north, 263 00:14:39,366 --> 00:14:42,300 it was more the art of merchants and businessmen. 264 00:14:43,300 --> 00:14:44,766 Europe's north was humming 265 00:14:44,766 --> 00:14:47,333 with commercial hubs, like Brussels. 266 00:14:47,333 --> 00:14:50,600 Its magnificent main square and towering city hall 267 00:14:50,600 --> 00:14:53,500 proclaimed the wealth of the new merchant class. 268 00:14:54,700 --> 00:14:56,666 These ornate buildings were the headquarters 269 00:14:56,666 --> 00:14:59,166 for the different professional guilds, 270 00:14:59,166 --> 00:15:01,733 bakers, brewers, tanners, and so on. 271 00:15:03,433 --> 00:15:06,000 The nearby city of Bruges was another economic 272 00:15:06,000 --> 00:15:08,233 and cultural powerhouse. 273 00:15:08,233 --> 00:15:09,966 Its soaring bell tower announced 274 00:15:09,966 --> 00:15:11,933 that it was a self-ruling city 275 00:15:11,933 --> 00:15:15,200 of the prosperous region of Flanders. 276 00:15:15,200 --> 00:15:17,033 That's the Dutch- or Flemish-speaking 277 00:15:17,033 --> 00:15:18,533 northern half of Belgium. 278 00:15:20,133 --> 00:15:23,366 This church, also with a sky-scraping tower of bricks, 279 00:15:23,366 --> 00:15:25,800 the most practical local building material, 280 00:15:25,800 --> 00:15:28,066 was filled with cultural treasures, 281 00:15:28,066 --> 00:15:32,033 from its powerful pipe organ to its elaborate tombs. 282 00:15:34,300 --> 00:15:37,266 The appetite of the market shaped the art. 283 00:15:37,266 --> 00:15:40,200 Here in the north, where patrons were mostly merchants, 284 00:15:40,200 --> 00:15:42,033 they didn't want to be preached at. 285 00:15:42,033 --> 00:15:44,366 They wanted art that celebrated their values 286 00:15:44,366 --> 00:15:47,966 and their hard work, art that was feel-good and affordable. 287 00:15:49,066 --> 00:15:51,666 It was no-nonsense portraits of themselves 288 00:15:51,666 --> 00:15:56,033 and their families, happy scenes of everyday life. 289 00:15:56,033 --> 00:15:59,333 Flemish painters were great storytellers. 290 00:15:59,333 --> 00:16:01,666 Rather than just Madonnas and saints, 291 00:16:01,666 --> 00:16:05,633 it was also peasants, landscapes, and food. 292 00:16:05,633 --> 00:16:08,033 Northern paintings were filled with symbolism 293 00:16:08,033 --> 00:16:11,933 and extremely realistic, with astonishing detail. 294 00:16:13,566 --> 00:16:17,066 This Flemish power couple hired a famous painter to portray, 295 00:16:17,066 --> 00:16:19,766 with lots of symbolism, their wealth, 296 00:16:19,766 --> 00:16:23,300 loyalty, piety, and fertility. 297 00:16:23,300 --> 00:16:25,633 Their rich belongings, from fancy clothing 298 00:16:25,633 --> 00:16:28,800 to their stylish headwear, are proudly on display. 299 00:16:30,400 --> 00:16:32,733 The dog at their feet, loyalty. 300 00:16:32,733 --> 00:16:35,966 You can practically count the hairs on its head. 301 00:16:35,966 --> 00:16:37,500 Rosary beads on the wall. 302 00:16:37,500 --> 00:16:39,833 That meant a strong faith. 303 00:16:39,833 --> 00:16:43,066 While the woman may look pregnant, she's most likely not, 304 00:16:43,066 --> 00:16:45,966 just gathering together her fine cloth to show it off 305 00:16:45,966 --> 00:16:48,500 or creating the impression that she's fertile. 306 00:16:48,500 --> 00:16:50,433 Or maybe she's just boasting the belly 307 00:16:50,433 --> 00:16:52,766 of a well-fed upper-class woman. 308 00:16:52,766 --> 00:16:56,266 Perhaps the first famous canvas to use oil-based paint, 309 00:16:56,266 --> 00:16:58,500 the detail is groundbreaking, 310 00:16:58,500 --> 00:17:01,200 the reflection of the couple from behind in the mirror 311 00:17:01,200 --> 00:17:03,566 and even the artist himself, 312 00:17:03,566 --> 00:17:06,800 the masterful treatment of light and shadow. 313 00:17:11,533 --> 00:17:13,533 By the way, to capture such detail, 314 00:17:13,533 --> 00:17:17,633 Flemish artists mastered the use of oil-based paints. 315 00:17:17,633 --> 00:17:21,566 Until about 1500, an egg-based paint called tempera 316 00:17:21,566 --> 00:17:24,466 was what most European painters used. 317 00:17:24,466 --> 00:17:27,466 They'd mix the mineral-based colors with egg yolk, 318 00:17:27,466 --> 00:17:29,933 which, when dried, became the binder. 319 00:17:29,933 --> 00:17:32,600 (gentle music) 320 00:17:35,933 --> 00:17:40,900 But then Flemish painters begin using oil-based paints. 321 00:17:40,900 --> 00:17:44,733 With this new, improved paint, the same mineral-based colors 322 00:17:44,733 --> 00:17:47,533 are mixed into vegetable oil. 323 00:17:47,533 --> 00:17:50,600 Now when dried, the oil, rather than egg yolks, 324 00:17:50,600 --> 00:17:51,900 binds the color. 325 00:17:53,200 --> 00:17:56,666 This oil painting by the Flemish artist Jan van Eyck, 326 00:17:56,666 --> 00:17:59,400 from the early 1400s and still vivid, 327 00:17:59,400 --> 00:18:02,800 is exquisite in its detail. 328 00:18:02,800 --> 00:18:06,666 The Madonna's delicate face, the saint's robe, 329 00:18:08,066 --> 00:18:09,600 the weave of the carpet, 330 00:18:10,933 --> 00:18:13,666 the stubble on the aging face, 331 00:18:13,666 --> 00:18:16,433 glasses actually magnifying the print 332 00:18:16,433 --> 00:18:19,133 are all possible because of the qualities 333 00:18:19,133 --> 00:18:21,100 of oil-based paints. 334 00:18:22,466 --> 00:18:25,666 Ever since, oil paints have been the standard. 335 00:18:25,666 --> 00:18:28,766 With these paints, artists enjoyed richer colors 336 00:18:28,766 --> 00:18:30,733 and more flexibility. 337 00:18:30,733 --> 00:18:33,566 They could apply layer upon translucent layer, 338 00:18:33,566 --> 00:18:38,500 called glazes, to create ever-more subtle details. 339 00:18:38,500 --> 00:18:39,866 While medieval paintings, 340 00:18:39,866 --> 00:18:42,066 like this lovely Madonna by Giotto, 341 00:18:42,066 --> 00:18:44,533 are egg-based tempera on wood, 342 00:18:44,533 --> 00:18:46,966 you can see the advantage oil-based paints 343 00:18:46,966 --> 00:18:49,633 on canvas gave later artists. 344 00:18:49,633 --> 00:18:53,666 With oil, Raphael could get a fuller spectrum of colors, 345 00:18:53,666 --> 00:18:56,700 and Leonardo could paint with more nuance. 346 00:18:59,333 --> 00:19:02,733 One thing I love about art is it can be the closest thing 347 00:19:02,733 --> 00:19:06,066 to a time-tunnel experience we'll enjoy in our travels. 348 00:19:06,066 --> 00:19:10,066 Slices of everyday life, like these, take us back in time. 349 00:19:11,200 --> 00:19:14,200 The undisputed master of the slice-of-life scene 350 00:19:14,200 --> 00:19:17,466 was the Flemish artist Pieter Bruegel the Elder. 351 00:19:17,466 --> 00:19:21,366 He captured the rustic simplicity of country folk at play. 352 00:19:21,366 --> 00:19:25,000 Where the Italian Renaissance depicted strong noble heroes, 353 00:19:25,000 --> 00:19:29,033 Northern artists like Bruegel celebrated humanity's quirks 354 00:19:29,033 --> 00:19:31,566 and poked fun at its foibles. 355 00:19:32,966 --> 00:19:35,466 At this peasant wedding, farmers scramble 356 00:19:35,466 --> 00:19:37,666 for their share of the free food. 357 00:19:37,666 --> 00:19:40,733 Two men bring in fresh pudding on a tray, 358 00:19:40,733 --> 00:19:45,366 another passes the bowls down, a kid licks his fingers, 359 00:19:45,366 --> 00:19:48,800 while the bagpiper pauses to check it all out. 360 00:19:48,800 --> 00:19:51,633 Amid the feeding frenzy, almost forgotten, 361 00:19:51,633 --> 00:19:53,800 sits the demure bride. 362 00:19:56,500 --> 00:20:00,133 In this bird's-eye view of a snow-covered Belgian village, 363 00:20:00,133 --> 00:20:02,966 kids throw snowballs and play on the ice, 364 00:20:02,966 --> 00:20:04,433 while men lug bushels 365 00:20:04,433 --> 00:20:07,666 across a frozen lake and a crowd gathers at the inn. 366 00:20:10,700 --> 00:20:14,133 But wait, it's actually a religious scene. 367 00:20:14,133 --> 00:20:17,633 The village is Bethlehem, and there's Joseph 368 00:20:17,633 --> 00:20:20,933 with his carpenter's saw leading a pregnant Mary, 369 00:20:20,933 --> 00:20:22,366 looking for a room. 370 00:20:23,600 --> 00:20:25,000 Far from the Holy Land, 371 00:20:25,000 --> 00:20:28,133 Bruegel literally brings the religious message home. 372 00:20:28,133 --> 00:20:30,600 It's Bethlehem in Flanders. 373 00:20:33,566 --> 00:20:36,466 In addition to their slice-of-life secular scenes, 374 00:20:36,466 --> 00:20:38,400 Northern artists of the Renaissance 375 00:20:38,400 --> 00:20:40,966 also gave the traditional medieval altarpiece 376 00:20:40,966 --> 00:20:43,533 a new level of sophistication. 377 00:20:43,533 --> 00:20:47,200 To those who understood it, the symbolism was obvious. 378 00:20:47,200 --> 00:20:52,166 As Jesus presides, the lily means mercy, the sword judgment. 379 00:20:53,733 --> 00:20:57,000 He stands on a globe representing the universality 380 00:20:57,000 --> 00:20:58,000 of his message. 381 00:20:59,233 --> 00:21:01,766 As angels blow horns to wake the dead, 382 00:21:01,766 --> 00:21:03,833 Michael, the archangel, determines 383 00:21:03,833 --> 00:21:06,200 which souls are heavy with sin. 384 00:21:09,266 --> 00:21:11,833 The apostles pray for the souls of the dead 385 00:21:11,833 --> 00:21:14,500 as they emerge from their graves. 386 00:21:14,500 --> 00:21:16,533 A painting could be like a sermon 387 00:21:16,533 --> 00:21:18,200 for the illiterate faithful. 388 00:21:19,566 --> 00:21:23,333 The individual faces are painted to make each a real person 389 00:21:23,333 --> 00:21:25,866 with a unique personality. 390 00:21:25,866 --> 00:21:28,533 And extraordinarily intricate detail, 391 00:21:28,533 --> 00:21:31,266 enhanced by the new technique of oil paints, 392 00:21:31,266 --> 00:21:34,400 illustrates the full range of human emotions. 393 00:21:35,800 --> 00:21:39,266 In the faces of the damned, you can almost hear the screams 394 00:21:39,266 --> 00:21:41,566 and gnashing of teeth. 395 00:21:41,566 --> 00:21:44,000 But Christ is expressionless. 396 00:21:44,000 --> 00:21:47,666 At this point, the cries of the wicked are useless. 397 00:21:49,166 --> 00:21:51,633 This altarpiece in a hospital in Bruges 398 00:21:51,633 --> 00:21:55,933 was also painted with an agenda, to comfort dying patients. 399 00:21:55,933 --> 00:21:57,766 Gazing at this gathering in heaven, 400 00:21:57,766 --> 00:22:00,033 they could imagine leaving this world of pain 401 00:22:00,033 --> 00:22:02,666 and illness and being at home with Mary, 402 00:22:02,666 --> 00:22:04,833 Jesus, and the saints. 403 00:22:04,833 --> 00:22:08,233 This heaven, which echoes wealthy Bruges in the 1400s, 404 00:22:08,233 --> 00:22:10,300 complete with familiar details, 405 00:22:10,300 --> 00:22:13,433 brought the religious message home to the here and now. 406 00:22:17,333 --> 00:22:20,966 500 years ago, one Flemish painter, Hieronymus Bosch, 407 00:22:20,966 --> 00:22:22,533 took the Northern Renaissance 408 00:22:22,533 --> 00:22:25,633 in a direction that seems radical even today. 409 00:22:26,633 --> 00:22:28,500 His "Garden of Earthly Delights," 410 00:22:28,500 --> 00:22:30,866 a three-paneled painting, or triptych, 411 00:22:30,866 --> 00:22:32,766 shows the delights of the world 412 00:22:32,766 --> 00:22:35,600 and where those temptations lead. 413 00:22:35,600 --> 00:22:38,600 In Act I, man and woman are born innocent 414 00:22:38,600 --> 00:22:42,100 in the Garden of Eden, blessed by a kind god. 415 00:22:42,100 --> 00:22:46,266 But then foolish people chase after earthly delights, 416 00:22:46,266 --> 00:22:49,700 a pursuit that is ultimately a vicious cycle. 417 00:22:50,900 --> 00:22:53,100 They're lured by the world's pleasures, 418 00:22:55,066 --> 00:22:55,866 eating, 419 00:22:58,333 --> 00:22:59,133 drinking, 420 00:23:01,033 --> 00:23:02,100 sex. 421 00:23:04,333 --> 00:23:06,500 Like the fleeting flavor of that fruit, 422 00:23:06,500 --> 00:23:08,633 strawberries everywhere symbolize 423 00:23:08,633 --> 00:23:11,866 how the delights of hedonism are soon gone. 424 00:23:14,200 --> 00:23:16,933 Two lovers are suspended in a bubble. 425 00:23:18,033 --> 00:23:21,233 Then, in the third panel, the bubble pops. 426 00:23:21,233 --> 00:23:24,066 The moral of the story, those party animals 427 00:23:24,066 --> 00:23:26,233 are heading straight to hell, 428 00:23:26,233 --> 00:23:29,000 a burning, postapocalyptic wasteland 429 00:23:29,000 --> 00:23:32,766 where sinners are led off to eternal torment. 430 00:23:32,766 --> 00:23:35,533 Every sinner gets an appropriate punishment. 431 00:23:35,533 --> 00:23:39,633 Gluttons are themselves consumed over and over. 432 00:23:39,633 --> 00:23:43,866 Good-time musicians are tortured by their own instruments. 433 00:23:43,866 --> 00:23:47,433 Gamblers have their party forever crashed. 434 00:23:47,433 --> 00:23:51,500 And a lecher gets sexually harassed by a pig-faced nun. 435 00:23:52,900 --> 00:23:56,466 Amid it all, a face peers out of this bizarre nightmare, 436 00:23:56,466 --> 00:24:00,066 a self-portrait of the artist, Bosch. 437 00:24:02,333 --> 00:24:06,533 Whether portraying heaven, hell, or anything in between, 438 00:24:06,533 --> 00:24:09,300 artists of the period were opening people's eyes 439 00:24:09,300 --> 00:24:11,833 to a new way of looking at things. 440 00:24:11,833 --> 00:24:14,766 And the Renaissance was this and more. 441 00:24:14,766 --> 00:24:17,400 An invigorating spirit of humanism 442 00:24:17,400 --> 00:24:22,466 that had begun in Florence, it spread from Italy to Spain 443 00:24:23,633 --> 00:24:26,266 to the north, eventually infusing all of Europe 444 00:24:26,266 --> 00:24:28,433 with its can-do optimism. 445 00:24:33,966 --> 00:24:36,900 Europe offers a lifetime of artistic treasures. 446 00:24:36,900 --> 00:24:38,633 And the more you understand its art, 447 00:24:38,633 --> 00:24:41,966 the more you'll appreciate the society that created it. 448 00:24:41,966 --> 00:24:44,266 I hope you've enjoyed our sweep through the highlights 449 00:24:44,266 --> 00:24:46,466 of the Renaissance beyond Italy. 450 00:24:46,466 --> 00:24:49,566 Soon the progress unleashed during this age would bring 451 00:24:49,566 --> 00:24:54,166 even more revolutionary changes and even more dynamic art. 452 00:24:54,166 --> 00:24:55,266 I'm Rick Steves. 453 00:24:55,266 --> 00:24:57,900 Until next time, keep on travelin'. 454 00:25:00,733 --> 00:25:02,200 Hey, I'm Rick Steves. 455 00:25:02,200 --> 00:25:04,666 Reflecting on the program you've just seen, 456 00:25:04,666 --> 00:25:07,400 think of the educational value of the programming 457 00:25:07,400 --> 00:25:11,233 this station brings to your community day in and day out. 458 00:25:11,233 --> 00:25:15,533 Public television is not a charity, it's a service. 459 00:25:15,533 --> 00:25:16,900 If you're enjoying this service 460 00:25:16,900 --> 00:25:19,433 and can't afford to help out, that's fine. 461 00:25:19,433 --> 00:25:22,233 That's the beauty of public broadcasting, 462 00:25:22,233 --> 00:25:24,900 but if you're enjoying it and you can't afford to help out, 463 00:25:24,900 --> 00:25:27,366 it's only right to do so. 464 00:25:27,366 --> 00:25:29,266 This is bigger than you and me. 465 00:25:29,266 --> 00:25:31,966 This station is important for our families, 466 00:25:31,966 --> 00:25:34,766 for our neighborhoods, and for our society, 467 00:25:34,766 --> 00:25:38,566 and supporting it now is more important than ever. 468 00:25:38,566 --> 00:25:41,366 In a world where so much is being privatized, 469 00:25:41,366 --> 00:25:44,833 this station is public, it belongs to all of us, 470 00:25:44,833 --> 00:25:48,800 and it needs and deserves our financial support. 471 00:25:48,800 --> 00:25:51,566 When you support this public television station, 472 00:25:51,566 --> 00:25:53,866 you support the educational value 473 00:25:53,866 --> 00:25:56,466 of quality independent programs, 474 00:25:56,466 --> 00:25:59,000 programs that respect your intelligence, 475 00:25:59,000 --> 00:26:02,000 and at the same time, you get great benefits, 476 00:26:02,000 --> 00:26:05,766 including Passport, which offers access to more programs, 477 00:26:05,766 --> 00:26:10,300 more episodes, more of your public television favorites. 478 00:26:10,300 --> 00:26:13,433 Consider the value that the programming you enjoy right here 479 00:26:13,433 --> 00:26:17,300 adds to your life, and then scan or go online 480 00:26:17,300 --> 00:26:19,433 to make your donation now. 481 00:26:20,833 --> 00:26:22,966 - [Announcer] Invest in your local PBS station 482 00:26:22,966 --> 00:26:25,433 by becoming an $8 monthly sustainer, 483 00:26:25,433 --> 00:26:28,733 or make a $96 annual contribution right now 484 00:26:28,733 --> 00:26:31,900 and we'll say thanks with a wonderful collection of gifts. 485 00:26:31,900 --> 00:26:34,866 You'll receive Rick Steve's book "For the Love of Europe," 486 00:26:34,866 --> 00:26:36,600 which shares his favorite memories 487 00:26:36,600 --> 00:26:39,600 from decades of travel in 100 essays. 488 00:26:39,600 --> 00:26:43,533 It's 400 pages of fun and inspirational travel stories. 489 00:26:43,533 --> 00:26:45,500 On top of that, you'll receive a copy 490 00:26:45,500 --> 00:26:47,333 of "Europe through the Back Door." 491 00:26:47,333 --> 00:26:49,833 This book is packed with practical tips 492 00:26:49,833 --> 00:26:51,466 from chapters on packing light 493 00:26:51,466 --> 00:26:53,433 and planning a smart itinerary 494 00:26:53,433 --> 00:26:56,800 to eating your way through Europe and finding great hotels. 495 00:26:56,800 --> 00:26:58,900 We'll also send you this map of Europe, 496 00:26:58,900 --> 00:27:00,733 which is perfect for pre-trip planning 497 00:27:00,733 --> 00:27:03,666 and using while you're on the vacation of your dreams. 498 00:27:03,666 --> 00:27:06,066 Plus, you'll receive Rick Steve's newsletter, 499 00:27:06,066 --> 00:27:07,766 which is packed full of travel tips 500 00:27:07,766 --> 00:27:09,833 about European destinations. 501 00:27:09,833 --> 00:27:12,666 And don't forget, with your qualifying contribution, 502 00:27:12,666 --> 00:27:15,666 you'll be able to enjoy a terrific member benefit, 503 00:27:15,666 --> 00:27:19,166 PBS Passport, which lets you watch every one of Rick's shows 504 00:27:19,166 --> 00:27:21,300 that's available on the PBS app. 505 00:27:21,300 --> 00:27:23,600 With PBS Passport, you'll also be able 506 00:27:23,600 --> 00:27:26,433 to stream a treasure trove of your favorite dramas, 507 00:27:26,433 --> 00:27:29,000 history, arts, music, and more. 508 00:27:29,000 --> 00:27:34,066 So don't wait. Go to pbs.org/rick to give now. 509 00:27:34,566 --> 00:27:35,333 Thank you. 510 00:27:39,200 --> 00:27:41,633 - As you can see, it's easy to donate 511 00:27:41,633 --> 00:27:43,333 to support public television. 512 00:27:43,333 --> 00:27:45,300 Whether you're watching the station on the air 513 00:27:45,300 --> 00:27:48,166 or streaming shows like this right here, 514 00:27:48,166 --> 00:27:51,100 please take a moment to make your donation. 515 00:27:51,100 --> 00:27:53,700 Doing so, you'll support your local station 516 00:27:53,700 --> 00:27:56,433 and the great programming it brings your way. 517 00:27:56,433 --> 00:27:58,200 And again, as a bonus, 518 00:27:58,200 --> 00:28:01,966 you'll enjoy great benefits including Passport. 519 00:28:01,966 --> 00:28:03,300 Thanks a lot. 520 00:28:03,300 --> 00:28:06,700 (bright dramatic music) 521 00:28:34,533 --> 00:28:36,166 (bricks clanking) 522 00:28:36,166 --> 00:28:39,133 (ate slams) 523 00:28:39,133 --> 00:28:42,033 (dramatic music)