
Northern Renaissance
The merchant class emerging in Northern Europe between 1400 and 1550 was keen to express its status and prosperity through art. And the rise of oil painting offered them affordable options. Artists made paintings and sculptures to appeal to these new consumers, many intended as intimate works for their homes.
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Interactive Article: Stories and Symbols in Jan van Eyck’s "The Annunciation"
The work is a triumph of early Northern Renaissance painting—and storytelling.

Video: How to Style a Still Life: Osias Beert the Elder's "Dishes with Oysters, Fruit, and Wine"
Try your hand at creating your very own lavish scene inspired by Osias Beert the Elder’s Dishes with Oysters, Fruit, and Wine.

Video: Jan van Eyck's "The Annunciation" (ASL)
This video provides an ASL description of Jan van Eyck's painting, The Annunciation.

Video: Hieronymus Bosch's "Death and the Miser" (ASL)
This video provides an ASL description of Hieronymus Bosch's painting, Death and the Miser.

Video: Metalpoint Drawing from Leonardo to Jasper Johns
This film covers the process of metalpoint drawing and was produced in conjunction with the exhibition Drawing in Silver and Gold: Leonardo to Jasper Johns, which was on view at the National Gallery of Art from May 3 to July 26, 2015.
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Painting
Since ancient times, artists have made paintings to tell stories or capture beauty. They’ve used egg tempera, oil, and more recently acrylic to create compositions of all shapes and sizes. The results include radiant altarpieces, striking portraits, luminous landscapes, and abstract expressions.

Portraits
Portraits represent people, either real or imagined, attempting to capture their appearance or essence. Some artists explored the human form and emotions through portraits of loved ones. Others made a living depicting wealthy or important people. And artists like Rembrandt van Rijn and Vincent van Gogh frequently used themselves as models.