25 Artists from the 1400s to Include in Your Picture Study Time
The 1400s are an excellent time to consider for picture study. The transition from the Gothic style to the Renaissance, as well as from media like tempura to oil paints, offers a plethora of artist options, especially from the Northern and Italian Renaissances.
The 14th and 15th centuries in art history hold a special place in my heart as these were the first two periods I studied in my first art history class in college. This class impacted me so profoundly that I was inspired to change my major from graphic design to art history, and I never looked back. In this post, I have a list of influential artists from the 1400s for your picture study time!
This list was a more challenging one to make than the others I’ve done in this series because there were so many artists from which to choose. As I flipped through the books from my classes, I kept adding more names to the list, but I think the ones I’ve chosen are a good sampling of this era.
I have tried with the other lists to represent a wide range of nationalities, regions, and backgrounds, but this list is very European-heavy simply due to the sheer volume of work being churned out throughout Europe during the Renaissance. There are also no female artists as I could not find any from this century that had a good amount of information and/or work available online.
Gentile da Fabriano
Nationality: Italian
Movement: Gothic
Gentile da Fabriano (ca. 1370-1427) painted many religious pieces but is most well-known for the altarpiece above. It was originally in the Strozzi Chapel of Santa Trinita but is now housed in the Uffizi.
Robert Campin
Nationality: Flemish
Movement: Northern Renaissance
Robert Campin (also known as the Master of Flémalle – ca. 1375-1444) is a bit of an enigma, and while no paintings can be confirmed as his, scholars have attributed many pieces with a distinct style to him. His paintings are highly-detailed and clear, as befits one of the early painters of the Northern Renaissance. (His “Nativity” is included in my Advent Art Devotions Volume II.)
Filippo Brunelleschi
Nationality: Italian (Florence)
Movement: Italian Renaissance
Filippo Brunelleschi (1377-1446) is mainly known for his abilities as an architect, but he was also a respected sculptor. He competed in a contest to decorate the door panels of the Florence Baptistery but came in second. One of my professors in college emphasized that this was a very good thing as, otherwise, he most likely wouldn’t have pursued architecture as another career path if he had won this contest.
Lorenzo Ghiberti
Photograph by Sailko
Nationality: Italian (Florence)
Movement: Italian Renaissance
Lorenzo Ghiberti (ca. 1378-1455) was the sculptor who won the abovementioned contest. The panels he created for the Florence Baptistery at the tender age of 21 are now housed in the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo, and they were so well-liked when he finished them that he was immediately commissioned to do another set of doors for the east side of the Baptistery.
Limbourg Brothers
Nationality: Dutch
Movement: Gothic
The Limbourg Brothers (Herman, Pol [or Paul], and Johan – ca. 1385-ca. 1416) were the illuminators of the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry, a book about which I wrote a paper in college, and probably the original piece of art that gave me a love of illuminated manuscripts. It has been called by many one of the finest examples of manuscript illumination from the fifteenth century.
Donatello
Nationality: Italian (Florence)
Movement: Renaissance
Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi (aka. Donatello – ca. 1386-1466) is the second name that comes to mind when I think of sculpture during the Italian Renaissance (Michelangelo holds the top spot). His Penitent Magdelene is one of my favorite sculptures from this era as it feels far more authentic than others of the same subject.
Jan van Eyck
Nationality: Flemish
Movement: Northern Renaissance
Jan van Eyck (ca. 1395 – 1441) has, at times in the past, been credited with being the inventor of oil painting. While this has since been disproved, his mastery of the medium is evidenced in his highly-detailed and highly-interesting paintings. He is one of my favorite artists of the Northern Renaissance. (His “Annunciation” is included in my Advent Art Devotions Volume II.)
Fra Angelico
Nationality: Italian (Florence)
Movement: Renaissance
Fra Angelico (ca. 1395-1455) was mentioned in Charlotte Mason’s original volumes, several Parents’ Review articles, and The Fésole Club Papers. He was a large part of the early Renaissance, and his work was influential to later artists.
Rogier van der Weyden
Nationality: Flemish
Movement: Northern Renaissance
Rogier van der Weyden (1399/1400-1464) was well-respected as an artist during his lifetime and left behind a beautiful collection of religious scenes and portraits. His known as a master of depicting emotion, and his paintings are highly detailed with rich colors.
Masaccio
Nationality: Italian (Florence)
Movement: Italian Renaissance
Tommaso di Ser Giovanni di Simone (aka. Masaccio – 1401-1428) has often been honored with the auspicious title of being the first painter of the Italian Renaissance. He lived a very short life but was highly influential to later artists.
Filippo Lippi
Nationality: Italian (Florence)
Movement: Renaissance
Fra Filippo Lippi (ca. 1406-1469) led an extremely controversial life, even stating that he was kidnapped by pirates at one point (he was freed due to his artistic skills). Still, his art is beautiful, and his influence on later artists, including Sandro Botticelli, is evident.
Piero della Francesca
Nationality: Italian (Florence)
Movement: Italian Renaissance
Piero della Francesca (ca. 1415-1492) is the first artist I remember emphasizing linear perspective, and this is especially evident in his Flagellation of Christ. The Renaissance was a time when many artists were experimenting with new scientific principles, and a more accurate depiction of distances and sizes was the result.
Sesshu
Nationality: Japanese
Movement: Muromachi Period
Sesshu Toyo (ca. 1420-1506) was a monk who painted landscapes, portraits, and nature scenes. He was very influential in Japan during his lifetime, and many schools were established that taught his style.
Shen Zhou
Nationality: Chinese (Jiangsu)
Movement: Ming Dynasty
Shen Zhou (1427-1509) lived just after the Yuan Dynasty collapsed, but his family was able to capitalize on this transition and became quite wealthy, thus freeing Shen Zhou to pursue a career as an artist. His work includes landscapes and individual studies of animals and flowers, and he is considered one of the four masters of the Ming Dynasty.
Hans Memling
Nationality: Flemish
Movement: Northern Renaissance
Hans Memling (ca. 1430-1494) was a student of Rogier van der Weyden, and his influence is evident in Memling’s work. A common practice at this time was for a wealthy patron to commission a religious painting in which they were kneeling and/or praying to a figure from the Bible (usually Mary). Memling’s oeuvre includes many of these pieces.
Giovanni Bellini
Nationality: Italian (Venice)
Movement: Italian Renaissance
Giovanni Bellini (ca. 1430-1516) came from a family of artists and contributed religious scenes and portraits to the world of the Italian Renaissance. He greatly impacted later Venetian artists, including his students Giorgione and Titian.
Andrea Mantegna
Nationality: Italian (Venice)
Movement: Italian Renaissance
Andrea Mantegna (ca. 1431-1506) has a very distinct style, and his paintings are easily identified. He is not only known for his tempera paintings but also his frescos, my favorite being the Oculus on the ceiling of the Camera degli Sposi.
Andrea del Verrocchio
Photograph by Archaeodontosaurus
Nationality: Italian (Florence)
Movement: Italian Renaissance
Andrea del Verrocchio (ca. 1435-1488) was a very skilled sculptor and goldsmith, though many paintings are also attributed to him as well. He is most well-known for being the artist in whose workshop Leonardo da Vinci was trained.
Sandro Botticelli
Nationality: Italian (Florence)
Movement: Italian Renaissance
Sandro Botticelli (ca. 1445-1510) created several iconic paintings now commonly seen everywhere. His oeuvre includes religious subjects, scenes from mythology, and portraits. His “Calumny of Appelles” is referenced in detail in Charlotte Mason’s Ourselves.
Leonardo da Vinci
Nationality: Italian
Movement: Renaissance
Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) needs little explanation for being on this list. His paintings are not only iconic but also beautiful, and no list of Renaissance painters would be complete without him.
Domenico Ghirlandaio
Nationality: Italian (Florence)
Movement: Italian Renaissance
Domenico Ghirlandaio (1448-1494) was another painter who was part of a family of artists. He was very successful during his lifetime and painted many religious pieces as well as portraits. Michelangelo was also trained in his studio.
Hieronymus Bosch
Nationality: Dutch
Movement: Northern Renaissance
Hieronymus Bosch (ca. 1450-1516) gave the world somewhat bizarre art that is fascinating to look at. He was widely popular during his lifetime, and his style can be found imitated by other artists from this timeframe as well.
Filippino Lippi
Nationality: Italian (Florence)
Movement: Italian Renaissance
Filippino Lippi (1457-1504) was the son of Filippo Lippi and his muse, Lucrezia Buti. He was something of a phenom and was completing his father’s commissioned works as a teenager before becoming an apprentice to Sandro Botticelli after his father’s death.
Gerard David
Nationality: Dutch
Movement: Northern Renaissance
Gerard David (ca. 1460-1523) was a painter and manuscript illuminator, and the bright, bold colors he used in his paintings are distinct and beautiful. (The “Adoration of the Magi” from his workshop is included in my Advent Art Devotions Volume II.)
Tang Yin
Nationality: Chinese (Suzhou)
Movement: Ming Dynasty
Tang Yin (aka. Bohu – 1470-1523) was another master of the Ming Dynasty (see Shen Zhou above). He was known for his poetry and calligraphy as well. He painted primarily landscapes, but many of his pieces include people.
Did I miss any artists? Who would you add to this list? Or who is an artist you’ve studied on this list and enjoyed? I’d love to hear!
Other posts in this series:
