France 1500: Between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance

Jean Hey, The Annunciation, (1490/1495), Oil on panel, The Art Institute of ChicagoOn exhibit now through 10 January 2011 at the Grand Palais in Paris is a fascinating exhibit that I highly recommend.  Called France 1500 it explores a period of prolific artistic and cultural activity in France that falls into neither the Middle Ages nor the Renaissance.  Indeed, the era has no real name and thus the artists and works associated with it are often overlooked in the historic record. 

The late 15^th century was a turning point in French cultural history marked by economic prosperity, demographic growth, and the territorial ambitions shared by two successive kings, Charles VIII (1483-98) and Louis XII (1498-1515), who marched their armies over the Alps and into neighboring Italy.  There, they discovered a time of exceptional flowering in the arts called the Italian Renaissance. 

This lead to a heightened cultural exchange between European nations as French and later Dutch artists traveled Italy to train under Italian masters, and vice-versa.  A new creative effervescence saw France at an artistic crossroads that few people know about and art history books often fail to mention.  It was a transitional period, when new perspectives and techniques bumped up against forms and structures perfected during the middles ages to transform sculpture and stained glass, tapestries and gold work, painting and decoration, manuscript and other printed work.  It was a time when Gothic ornament and chiaroscuro often co-existed side-by-side.

In the France 1500 exhibit, 200 masterpieces both publicly and privately owned, are on loan from all over Europe and the United States.  If you can’t make the exhibit in Paris, don’t worry!  You can still catch it at the Art Institute of Chicago, 26 February-29 May 2011.

Comments

[Jimmy]

I had no idea! This is cool stuff.