Final answer:
Due to the Protestant Reformation, art in Northern Europe shifted from predominantly religious themes to include more secular subject matters, such as landscapes, portraiture, and genre paintings. The change reflected Protestant values emphasizing salvation through divine grace and a keen interest in replicating observed reality.
Step-by-step explanation:
Art During the Reformation and Beyond
The shift in religious paradigms during the Protestant Reformation had a profound effect on the types of art being produced. When Protestant theology took hold in Northern Europe, it brought about a decline in religious images because of the belief in salvation through divine grace rather than church intervention. This change led to a diversification in art, with artists exploring secular subject matters such as landscape paintings, portraiture, genre paintings (scenes of everyday life), and still life.
Landscape paintings, in particular, became increasingly popular amongst the Dutch during the 17th century, marked by artists like Jacob van Ruisdael. These landscapes celebrated the unique topography of the Netherlands, with an emphasis on light structures and cloud formations, reflecting the people's pride in their country and the glory of God's creation. The popularity of landscapes was indicative of a larger trend where art began to focus on replicating observed reality.
Artists began to gain fame during their lifetimes, and art patronage expanded beyond the church. The impact of the Reformation was also felt in the decline of iconic religious imagery such as scenes from the Bible, and the emergence of new genres that reflected contemporary life and the human experience. History paintings, typical of the Academy's 'great painting', were challenged by Realists and Impressionists who believed that landscapes and genre scenes were just as worthy.