Description
International Gothic is a period of Gothic art that began in Burgundy, France, and northern Italy in the late 14th and early 15th century. It then spread very widely across Western Europe, hence the name for the period, which was introduced by the French art historian Louis Courajod at the end of the 19th century.
The spread of ideas and portable works, such as illuminated manuscripts throughout Europe led to consensus among artists and their patrons that considerably reduced variation in national styles. The main influences were northern France, the Duchy of Burgundy, Flanders and Brabant, the Imperial court in Prague, and Italy. Royal marriages such as that between Richard II of England and Anne of Bohemia helped to spread the style. Read more ↗
Key Artists
Gentile da Fabriano
Champion of Italian International Gothic painting whose Adoration of the Magi epitomized courtly luxury, detailed brocades, and softly luminous atmospheres.
Pisanello (Antonio di Puccio Pisano)
Foremost court painter and medalist of late International Gothic in Northern Italy, famous for keen animal studies, chivalric frescoes, and portrait medals.
Colart de Laon
Prominent French court painter and valet de chambre to the Duke of Orléans, known for refined panel paintings combining courtly elegance with profound emotional piety.
Simone Martini
Sienese master whose lyrical sinuous lines, refined naturalism, and move to the papal court in Avignon laid the foundational seeds for the International Gothic style across Europe.
Famous Artworks
The Wilton Diptych
Anonymous English or French Master · 1395
National Gallery, London - Egg tempera and gold leaf on oak panel
Fun Facts
The Limbourg Brothers died suddenly in 1416 before age thirty, likely victims of the plague alongside their wealthy patron, the Duke of Berry, leaving their magnificent 'Très Riches Heures' manuscript unfinished.
↗ Source: britannica.com
International Gothic became the first truly pan-European style of the Middle Ages because royal marriages, such as between Richard II of England and Anne of Bohemia, enabled illuminated books and small altarpieces to travel rapidly between the royal courts of Paris, Prague, London, and Milan.
↗ Source: britannica.com
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