Northern European Art during the Protestant Reformation

Martin Luther’s 95 Thesis and the Protestant Reformation that followed had a powerful influence on the art world. One change was in the new Protestant churches where large opulent paintings and sculptures were not in keeping with the tenets of the new religion. Protestants did not favor these as they considered them, at least potentially, a form of idolatry. There were even cases where art was banded from places of worship. Because of this belief the new Protestant churches were rather unadorned. Because Protestantism used the Bible alone as the basis for their religion, Catholic dogma, such as the cult of Mary was no longer included in their religious imagery.

This was not to say that art did not have a place in Protestantism. Woodcut prints that were small and light were becoming very popular as a way to disseminate propaganda aimed at winning over new converts. Images were used along with text to help achieve these ends. These could be very biting at times and would resemble what we would think of today as political cartoons. Albrecht Dürer was one of the artists who supported Lutheranism and produced a great many of these woodcut prints. He did much to elevate the woodcut as an art form.

Northern European artists also liked to infuse diverse elements into their artworks. Subject matter began to expand as a result of the Catholic Church no longer being the dominate commissioner of art. Portraits and genre paintings became popular, as did landscapes and depictions of mythology from the ancient world.