2. The Renaissance of Northern Europe

Abstract

The Renaissance north of the Alps was akin to the Italian Renaissance, but it appeared later and developed distinctive features of its own. It had a dual origin in infection and invention. Infection was the result of the brisk traffic of merchants, scholars, princes, soldiers, Churchmen, and artists which passed between Italy and the North, carrying tidings of the new developments in Rome, Florence, Venice, and Milan. In addition, northern Europeans hit on ideas of their own. Since they, like the Italians, were experiencing the growth of trade, urban life, and the centralized state, their response to these events was related to that of the Italians under similar conditions. However, Frenchmen, Germans, Netherlanders, and Englishmen worked with native materials and therefore did not reproduce the Italian scene exactly. [excerpt