Floor plan

Style galleriesThe Northern Renaissance

The Northern Renaissance

This is a drawing of a group of medieval figures and a tree. The image depicts a dense gathering of figures, all wearing elaborate period costumes, including helmets, robes, and armor. Their expressions vary. At the top, a leafy tree dominates the background alongside swirling clouds. The foreground hints at an interaction among the individuals, possibly a scene of discourse or judgment. Several personal items and tools are on the ground. The attention to detail and the use of line to create intricate patterns and textures are notable features of this work. This is in the style of Albrecht Dürer.
A work made of pen and brush and brown ink and brush and brown wash on ivory laid paper.
This print features a detailed scene. In the center is a classical-style pavilion with arched openings and a domed roof adorned with intricate designs. A group of mostly-nude people is gathered around the pavilion, with one on horseback, holding a spear, and another holding a flag. In front of the pavilion, a knight on horseback appears to be falling into a dark hole in the ground. Vegetation, including trees and shrubs, is scattered throughout the landscape, and birds are seen flying in the sky above the pavilion. The horizon shows hills leading to a distant castle on a rocky formation on the right.
The Rabbit Hunt, by Pieter Bruegel, 1560
The image shows an elderly man seated from the waist up. He is angled slightly away from the viewer, resting his head on one hand and leaning on the other arm. The man has a deeply lined face, a large beard, curly hair, and appears focused on something outside the frame. He wears flowing garments and a book is under his arm. In the background, there are rugged, mountainous rock formations. Ornate text frames the image at the bottom.
Amya Petitioning Faustus for the Custody of Saint Mamas, by Jean Cousin the Elder, ca. 1543

The works in this room are listed below.

Works in this room

Dürer's prints, Holbein's portraits and the art of northern Europe in the 1500s.

Section 1, north wall

  1. This is a drawing of a group of medieval figures and a tree. The image depicts a dense gathering of figures, all wearing elaborate period costumes, including helmets, robes, and armor. Their expressions vary. At the top, a leafy tree dominates the background alongside swirling clouds. The foreground hints at an interaction among the individuals, possibly a scene of discourse or judgment. Several personal items and tools are on the ground. The attention to detail and the use of line to create intricate patterns and textures are notable features of this work. This is in the style of Albrecht Dürer.
    The Martyrdom of Saint BarbaraLucas Cranach the ElderCourtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  2. A work made of pen and brush and brown ink and brush and brown wash on ivory laid paper.
    A Hilly Landscape with Figures Near a RavineJan Brueghel the Elder, 1595Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago
  3. This print features a detailed scene. In the center is a classical-style pavilion with arched openings and a domed roof adorned with intricate designs. A group of mostly-nude people is gathered around the pavilion, with one on horseback, holding a spear, and another holding a flag. In front of the pavilion, a knight on horseback appears to be falling into a dark hole in the ground. Vegetation, including trees and shrubs, is scattered throughout the landscape, and birds are seen flying in the sky above the pavilion. The horizon shows hills leading to a distant castle on a rocky formation on the right.
    Marcus Curtius Plunging into the ChasmLucas Cranach the ElderCourtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington

Section 1, south wall

  1. The Rabbit Hunt, by Pieter Bruegel, 1560
    The Rabbit HuntPieter Bruegel, 1560Courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art
  2. The image shows an elderly man seated from the waist up. He is angled slightly away from the viewer, resting his head on one hand and leaning on the other arm. The man has a deeply lined face, a large beard, curly hair, and appears focused on something outside the frame. He wears flowing garments and a book is under his arm. In the background, there are rugged, mountainous rock formations. Ornate text frames the image at the bottom.
    Saint AndrewHendrick Goltzius, probably 1589Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  3. Amya Petitioning Faustus for the Custody of Saint Mamas, by Jean Cousin the Elder, ca. 1543
    Amya Petitioning Faustus for the Custody of Saint MamasJean Cousin the Elder, ca. 1543Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Section 2, south wall

  1. DEER HUNT WITH NETS
    Deer Hunt with NetsJan van der Straet, called Stradanus, ca. 1590 – 1599Courtesy of Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
  2. This painting shows a man from the waist up. He is facing forward and gazes out at us. He has fair skin, light brown hair, a thin mustache and beard, and light green eyes. His expression is mostly neutral, although his peach lips are slightly turned up at the edges. He is wearing a black garment with a high collar and a hood and a black flat cap on his head. The background is plain blue, fading to black around the edges of the painting.
    Portrait of a ManCorneille de Lyon, c. 1536/1540Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  3. The Raising of Lazarus, by Jacques Bellange, ca. 1606–8
    The Raising of LazarusJacques Bellange, ca. 1606–8Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Section 2, north wall

  1. The image shows a central person standing with both arms raised. They have a long beard, aged appearance, long hair, and wear a robe. Three other individuals are around them, reclining or lying on the ground. The setting is an outdoor scene with detailed trees and vegetation. There are initials "I.SP" in the top right corner.
    The Agony in the GardenSebald Beham, 1522Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  2. The Harvesters, by Pieter Bruegel, 1565
    The HarvestersPieter Bruegel, 1565Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Section 3, north wall

  1. Landscape with a Double Spruce, by Albrecht Altdorfer, ca. 1521–22
    Landscape with a Double SpruceAlbrecht Altdorfer, ca. 1521–22Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  2. Music-Making Angels, by Albrecht Dürer, 1521
    Music-Making AngelsAlbrecht Dürer, 1521Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  3. A work made of engraving in black on cream laid paper.
    The Carnival (or the Prodigal Son)Jan Sadeler, I, 1588Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago

Section 3, south wall

  1. This is a drawing of a heraldic emblem. The image shows a centaur-like figure holding a bow and arrow, with leaves around its head. Below, there is a shield divided into two sections: the upper part shows shapes resembling birds, while the lower part shows a hound-like animal in a running pose. The shield is surrounded by swirling acanthus-like leaves, with additional decorative elements and a blank scroll space below it.
    CrestMichel Le BlonCourtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  2. Phaeton, from "The Four Disgracers", by Hendrick Goltzius, 1588
    Phaeton, from "The Four Disgracers"Hendrick Goltzius, 1588Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art