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Northern European artists were inspired by Italian Renaissance artists, they did not
base their new developments on the re-discovery of classical Greek or Roman ideals.
Northern Artists broke away from the gothic style and started painting nature, and
painting it as it appeared in very realistic detail. Some of the different characteristics of
Italy and the North: Italian Renaissance artists specialized in ideal beauty while
Northerners in intense realism. The Renaissance had simplified forms and measured proportions, while Northern European art used lifelike features and unflattering honesty. Meaning the proportions of the figures in the pictures were more realistic in size and shape. Italy painted about religion and mythological scenes. Northern Europeans also painted about religion, but also painted about domestic scenes. Italy liked heroic male figures that were nude. While the north painted prosperous citizens and peasants. Painting techniques were also different. Italy used fresco, tempera, and oil paintings. Northern Europeans used oil paintings on wood panels. Italy's basis of art was on theory while Northern Europe's was on observation. Northern Europe lacked classical sculpture to base their proportions of people on, so they used their subjects themselves. Northern Europe was less interested in using chiaroscuro and modeling, also the qualities of the Venetian Renaissance did not often appear in Northern Europe. Another difference between Italy and the North is religion. The North tended to lean towards the new religion of Protestantism, while Italy stayed Catholic. This played a huge role in the differences between the two areas. One text that was used often in Northern Europe was Het Schilderboeck (The Painter's Handbook) by Karel van Mander of Holland. This text described the lives of Northern artists. It's counterpart in Italy was Vasari's text Lives, which was an important source for the history of Renaissance art.

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