16th Century Northern European Art and Reformation

Martin Luther, a German theologian, wrote his Ninety-five Thesis in 1517, which to his surprise, created a massive division of Christendom. With his teachings he tried to straighten out the spiritual ideas and significant reform. This is what created what we know as the reformation. Luther said that the structure of the Catholic church should be changed. The faith of the church was deteriorating with the growing of the church leaders as they gained more power and money and turning away from God. Not only did the reformation affect the people and the church, it also had an impact on 16th century northern European art. The Catholic church used art as a way of decorating the interior or the church to connect with God. While the Protestants keep the ceilings bare to avoid distraction. By comparing and contrasting two specific works of art we are able to see a change of thinking. Matthias Grunewald painted a piece pre-reformation and Albrecht Durer painted one called 'The Last Supper'. In Matthias's painting, for example, we see Jesus on the cross with Mary on the left and John the Baptist on the right, these are major figure heads in the church, and they are painted as if in a solid structure or one faith. The painting is done in bright color. Red was a symbol of power and wealth, because it was expensive to make. In contrast, Durer's woodcut tells a much different story. This is very different from the way we are use to seeing the last supper painted. This painting seems disjointed. The figures are placed in a scene of poverty. The figures are separated from each other in groups as if discussing individual ideas. This shows a major change in the way people thought about religion after the Reformation.