In class, we wrapped up our study of the High Renaissance Period in Northern Europe. We considered works by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, including The Blind Leading the Blind. The scene shows a line of blind men leading each other into a ditch, representing a quote from the Gospel of Matthew. The placement of the figures is very thought out, creating a diagonal line from the top left to the bottom right, which pulls the viewer’s eye across the scene. Bruegel leaves a gap between figures in front of the church, placing a subtle emphasis on the presence of the church.
We then transitioned back to Italy to study Baroque art in the 16th and 17th centuries. Two major elements influenced artists during the period – the conscious reaction against Mannerism and the counterreformation. The Protestant Reformation, which began in the North, led to religious division throughout Europe. Many people abandoned their Catholic faiths for the reformed models, prompting the Counterreformation, which was launched by the Council of Trent. During the Counterreformation, the Catholic church attempted to rebrand to fight the advances of the Protestants and their reformation. Among this series of rebranding were new guidelines for representing religious subjects in art, including the Trinity, Mary, and Saints.